Pistons Beat Hornets as Four Players Are Ejected After On-Court Fight/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A third-quarter fight between the Pistons and Hornets led to four player ejections in Charlotte. Detroit held on for a 110–104 win, snapping Charlotte’s bid for a 10-game winning streak. The altercation escalated quickly, drawing police briefly onto the court and spilling into the fourth quarter.
Pistons vs Hornets Fight – Quick Looks
- Four players ejected after third-quarter altercation
- Pistons defeat Hornets 110–104 in Charlotte
- Brief police presence on the court
- Hornets’ winning streak bid ends at nine
- Coach Charles Lee also ejected in fourth quarter
- League discipline expected after video review
Deep Look: Pistons Beat Hornets as Four Players Are Ejected After On-Court Fight
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A heated third-quarter brawl overshadowed an intense matchup Monday night as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Charlotte Hornets 110–104 in a physical game that saw four players ejected and briefly required a police presence on the court.
Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were ejected, along with Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Hornets coach Charles Lee was later ejected in the fourth quarter after angrily confronting officials.
The loss ended Charlotte’s chance to tie a franchise record with 10 consecutive wins.
How the Fight Unfolded
The altercation erupted with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. Duren was driving to the basket when he was fouled by Diabate. After the whistle, the two players squared up face-to-face, appearing to bump heads before Duren struck Diabate in the face with an open hand.
As teammates rushed in, the confrontation escalated. While Pistons forward Tobias Harris attempted to restrain Diabate, the Hornets center threw a punch toward Duren. Bridges then charged in, swinging at Duren, who responded with a punch of his own.
Stewart left the Pistons bench and became involved, eventually placing Bridges in a headlock and landing multiple blows before players and staff separated the group. The chaotic scene lasted more than 30 seconds and resulted in uniformed police stepping onto the floor to help restore order.
Reactions After the Game
Duren described the incident as the result of heightened competitiveness.
“Emotions were flaring,” Duren said. “We’d love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was playing hard.”
He added that Detroit has faced physical play throughout the season. “Teams have been trying to get in our head all year,” Duren said. “At the end of the day, emotions got high.”
The Hornets did not make Bridges or Diabate available for postgame interviews. However, Bridges later posted on Instagram:
“Sorry Hornets Nation! Sorry Hornets Organization! Always gonna protect my teammates forever.”
Officials and Coaches Weigh In
Crew chief John Goble said in a pool report that the ejections were mandated under league rules.
“The players engaged in fighting activity during a dead ball,” Goble said. “After review, we assessed fighting fouls, and by rule they were ejected.”
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his players.
“Our guys weren’t the ones who crossed the line,” Bickerstaff said. “If someone throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That’s what happened.”
Tensions Continued
The intensity didn’t fade after the brawl. Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected after angrily arguing a no-call following contact between Charlotte’s Grant Williams and Detroit’s Paul Reed. Hornets guard Brandon Miller had to restrain Lee as he confronted officials.
Lee later acknowledged he must better control his emotions moving forward.
What’s Next
The NBA is expected to review the incident and could issue fines or suspensions following further evaluation. Despite the chaos, Detroit maintained composure down the stretch to secure the win, while Charlotte was left to regroup after a night defined as much by conflict as competition.
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