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A massive brawl broke out between the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons on Monday night, resulting in four ejections in a wild third-quarter scene.
Hornets players Moussa Diabaté and Miles Bridges, as well as the Pistons’ Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were all ejected from the game.
The incident began when Duren was backing up Diabaté in the paint, and the latter fouled the former with about seven minutes left in the third quarter. But the two immediately clashed, with Diabaté pressing his head against Duren, which started it all.
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Moussa Diabaté and Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets battle Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on February 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Duren pushed Diabate’s face, and although people on both sides tried to ease the tension, the usually mild-mannered Diabate continued to try to find Duren.
Pistons veteran Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back when the latter threw a punch at Duren, escalating the situation. As Duren walked away, Bridges got involved, throwing a left punch of his own at Duren. The Pistons forward fired back with a punch of his own.
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Then, with a lot of people on the court at the time, Stewart rushed off the Pistons bench to confront Bridges, throwing a punch at him as their altercation became the focal point of the on-court madness.
The tense scene finally dissipated, but the ejections did not stop. In the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected from the game and had to be restrained after yelling at the officials following a non-call when his player, Grant Williams, collided with the Pistons’ Paul Reed.
The Pistons ended up winning the game, 110-104, to add to their best record of 39-13 in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets fell to 25-29, which placed them 10th in the conference.
Moussa Diabaté of the Charlotte Hornets battles Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on February 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Ejections in the NBA usually lead to discipline, so it will be interesting to see what the league office determines is an appropriate punishment for this fiery Monday night moment.
