Pistons and Hornets In A Massive Eastern Conference Brawl

Charlotte, North Carolina, has seen its fair share of memorable wrestling matches; just ask the Nature Boy, Ric Flair. On Monday night at the Spectrum Center, the NBA had its own version of the WWE in what was supposed to be a marquee matchup with the Eastern Conference's top-seeded Detroit Pistons (39–13) against the hottest team in the league, with the Hornets riding a nine-game win streak. Instead, it became must-see TV for all the wrong reasons.

With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Pistons center Jalen Duren drove to the basket and got fouled by Hornets big man Moussa Diabate, resulting in the two going face-to-face. Words were exchanged, and then Duren hit Diabate in the face with an open right hand. That was the spark that lit the fuse.

Diabate gave chase, taking swings at a backpedaling Duren, and at one point even made contact with fans at courtside before his teammate Kon Knueppel pulled him away. Meanwhile, Miles Bridges jumped in and took his own swing at Duren, and as the third man involved, the type of behavior that escalates a skirmish to a full brawl. That's when Isaiah Stewart came flying off the Pistons bench, looking like a young Mike Tyson, throwing punches at Bridges. The confrontation lasted over 30 seconds and briefly required a police presence on the floor.

When the dust settled, Charlotte's Diabate and Bridges were ejected along with Detroit's Duren and Stewart. The Pistons held on for a 110–104 win, with Cade Cunningham dropping a stat sheet-filling 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists despite all the chaos. 

The drama wasn’t just limited to the players, as Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected in the fourth quarter after Brandon Miller had to physically restrain him from going after an official. 

Commissioner Adam Silver and James Jones (Head of Basketball Operations and Executive Vice President) are overseeing the footage, and suspensions are all but guaranteed for several players, particularly Diabate, Bridges, Duren (it has been reported that he will not miss the upcoming All-Star Game), and especially Stewart, who were the aggressors. With Charlotte in the middle of a grueling nine-game road trip, losing Bridges to a lengthy suspension would likely have a huge impact on their quest for a playoff or play-in berth.  Detroit, which sits atop the Eastern Conference standings, could see its lead over the second-place New York Knicks and Boston Celtics shrink if they are without their star big man for an extended period of time.