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A massive brawl broke out between the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons on Monday night, leading to four ejections in a wild scene in the third quarter.
Hornets players Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, as well as Pistons’ Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were all ejected from the game.
The incident began when Duren backed Diabate into the paint and the latter beat the former with about seven minutes to play in the third quarter. But the two immediately got into each other’s faces, with Diabate pressing his head against Duren, which set everything in motion.
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Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets battle Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at the Spectrum Center on February 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Duren shoved Diabate’s face, and despite people on both sides trying to quell the tension, the normally mild-mannered Diabate kept trying to find Duren again.
Pistons veteran Tobias Harris restrained Diabate when the latter threw a punch at Duren, escalating the whole situation. As Duren walked away, Bridges got involved and threw his own left-handed jab at Duren. The Pistons forward retaliated with a shot of his own.
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Then, with many on the court at this point, Stewart came rushing off the Pistons’ bench to confront Bridges, throwing punches as their altercation became the focal point of the frenzy on the hardwood.
The tense scene eventually died down, but the drafts didn’t stop after that. In the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected and had to be restrained after screaming at the officials after a no-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 Eastern Conference-best 39-13 record. The Hornets fell to 25-29, which puts them in 10th place in the conference.
Moussa Diabate of the Charlotte Hornets battles Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at the Spectrum Center on February 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Suspensions in the NBA usually lead to discipline, so it will be interesting to see what the league office decides is the proper punishment for this heated moment on Monday night.
