A third-quarter altercation between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets escalated into one of the most chaotic moments of the season Monday night, resulting in four player ejections and later the dismissal of Charlotte coach Charles Lee. Despite the disruption, Detroit held on for a 110-104 victory at Spectrum Center.
The incident began with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter when Pistons center Jalen Duren drove to the basket and was fouled by Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate. After the whistle, Duren turned and got face-to-face with Diabate, with the two appearing to make head contact. Moments later, Duren struck Diabate in the face with an open right hand, setting off a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds and required a brief police presence on the court.
As Pistons forward Tobias Harris attempted to restrain Diabate, the Hornets big man threw a punch at Duren. Duren initially walked away, but Miles Bridges charged at him and threw a left-handed punch, prompting Duren to retaliate. Diabate then tried to re-engage and had to be held back by teammates and staff.
The situation intensified when Isaiah Stewart left the Detroit bench area to confront Bridges. Bridges responded with another punch, and the two became tangled, with Stewart at one point placing Bridges in a headlock and delivering multiple left-handed blows. Officials and arena security eventually separated the players, and Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected for fighting.
Crew chief John Goble explained the decision afterward, saying the players “engaged in fighting activity during the dead ball” and that, following review, fighting fouls were assessed and ejections issued in accordance with league rules.
Duren later described the incident as the product of heightened competitiveness. “Emotions were flaring,” he said. “At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard.” He added that opposing teams have tried to provoke Detroit throughout the season, saying, “This isn’t the first time that people have tried to be extra aggressive with us… emotions got high with everybody being competitive.”
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his players, insisting Detroit did not initiate the altercation. “Our guys deal with a lot, but they’re not the ones that initiated,” he said. “If a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That’s what happened tonight.”
The Hornets declined to make Bridges and Diabate available for postgame interviews. Lee, however, acknowledged how quickly the situation escalated. “It looked like two guys got into a heated conversation and it just kind of spiraled from there,” he said.
Tensions did not subside after the fight. Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected after angrily arguing a no-call following a collision between Charlotte’s Grant Williams and Detroit’s Paul Reed. Lee had to be physically restrained by Hornets guard Brandon Miller as he yelled at officials.
Lee later criticized what he believed was inconsistent officiating, saying, “Grant was walking down the paint and barely touched somebody and the guy fell over and that is what we are going to call a foul. They have a hard job, but I don’t think that was the consistency with what had been called the rest of the game.” He also acknowledged he needs to better manage his emotions moving forward.
