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A massive brawl broke out between the Charlotte Hornets and the 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 the Pistons’ Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were ejected from the game.
The incident began when Duren backed up Diabaté in the paint, and the latter fouled him with about seven minutes left in the third quarter. But the two immediately clashed, with Diabate pressing his head against Duren, triggering everything.
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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 pushed Diabate’s face, and despite people on both sides trying to ease the tension, the usually mild-mannered Diabate continued trying to find Duren again.
Pistons veteran Tobias Harris was restraining Diabate when the latter threw a punch at Duren, aggravating the entire situation. As Duren walked away, Bridges got involved and landed his own left-handed jab at Duren. The Pistons forward took revenge with his own hit.
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Then, with many on the court at the time, Stewart ran from the Pistons’ bench to confront Bridges, throwing a punch as their altercation became the focal point of the madness on the court.
The tense scene eventually dissipated, but the expulsions did not stop after that. 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 foul when his player, Grant Williams, collided with the Pistons’ Paul Reed.
The Pistons ended up winning the game, 110-104, to increase their record to 39-13, the best in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets fell to 25-29, good for 10th in the conference.
Moussa Diabate of the Charlotte Hornets fights 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)
Ejections in the NBA typically lead to disciplinary action, so it will be interesting to see what the league office determines is the appropriate punishment for this heated Monday night moment.
