Four players were ejected after a third-quarter fight spilled across the court during the Detroit Pistons’ 110-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, a game that also saw Hornets coach Charles Lee tossed late as officials reviewed video and tried to restore order at Spectrum Center.
The brawl interrupted a close game with two teams trending in opposite directions. Detroit, led by Cade Cunningham, used the win to halt Charlotte’s surge and end the Hornets’ nine-game winning streak. The NBA said it will review the incident, leaving open the possibility of suspensions or fines as the league weighs what happened on the floor, who left the bench area, and how the confrontation escalated from a hard foul into punches and shoving in front of fans.
The trouble began in the third quarter when Charlotte forward Moussa Diabate delivered a hard foul on Pistons center Jalen Duren near the basket, officials and game accounts said. Duren reacted immediately, shoving Diabate, and the exchange intensified in seconds. Diabate swung back as players from both teams rushed toward the lane. The scrum moved away from the original spot as bodies piled in and teammates tried to separate the two big men. Security staff and team personnel stepped in as the noise inside the arena grew and players waved for help to pull teammates away.
As the confrontation spread, Charlotte’s Miles Bridges became involved, pressing toward Duren during the scuffle. Detroit reserve Isaiah Stewart also joined the melee, coming from the bench area and moving quickly into the crowd of players and staff. Video from the arena showed extended pushing and grabbing as people tried to hold players back and guide them away from the center of the action. Officials stopped play for a lengthy delay while they huddled at the scorer’s table, reviewed replay angles, and worked to ensure the court was clear and calm before the game could resume.
After the review, officials ejected Diabate and Bridges for Charlotte and Duren and Stewart for Detroit. The four ejections came with 7:09 left in the third quarter, with Detroit leading 70-62 at the time. Duren had 15 points in 20 minutes before he was sent off, leaving the Pistons to patch together their frontcourt rotation on the fly. Charlotte also had to adjust quickly after losing Diabate, who had been active around the rim, and Bridges, a major part of the Hornets’ offense and late-game creation.
Detroit steadied itself behind Cunningham, who finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Pistons struggled from 3-point range, but they made enough plays inside and at the line to keep control even as the game turned choppy. Duncan Robinson scored 18 points for Detroit, Paul Reed added 12, and Tobias Harris had 11 as the Pistons leaned on ball movement and late-clock execution to avoid giving Charlotte the open-floor chances that often fuel momentum in a hostile building.
Charlotte kept coming. Brandon Miller scored 24 points, while LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel added 20 apiece as the Hornets tried to extend what had been their hottest stretch of the season. Charlotte’s shooting from deep helped keep the margin within reach, and the Hornets were perfect at the free-throw line, going 17-for-17. Still, the Hornets could not fully erase the deficit created before the brawl, and they struggled to get consecutive stops when Detroit slowed the pace and attacked mismatches in the half court.
The tension did not end with the player ejections. In the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected after a heated argument over an offensive foul call. Arena video and postgame reports described Lee being restrained as he moved toward an official while protesting the decision, drawing a loud reaction from the crowd as he walked off. His ejection added another jolt to a game already defined by long stoppages, replay reviews, and players repeatedly being separated as tempers remained close to the surface.
Both teams emphasized afterward that the league’s review will determine what comes next. Under NBA rules, the discipline process typically focuses on actions like throwing punches, escalating contact, and leaving the bench area during an altercation. The league can also consider whether a player who was not in the game entered the fight zone, and whether team staff took appropriate steps to prevent that. Any punishments would be significant for two teams with different goals, with Charlotte trying to stay afloat in a competitive Eastern Conference picture and Detroit seeking consistency around its young core.
The setting underscored why the league takes these incidents seriously. The fight unfolded in front of a packed lower bowl, with courtside spectators leaning back as bodies moved toward the sideline and staff formed a human barrier. Players on both benches stood, pointing and shouting as coaches and assistants waved them back. When play finally resumed, the arena stayed loud and tense, with every whistle drawing reactions from both sides and the officials repeatedly signaling for space.
The teams are scheduled to meet again April 10 in Charlotte, giving the rivalry a near-term rematch as the NBA weighs discipline from Monday’s events. For now, Detroit left with a road win and Charlotte left with a snapped streak, plus a list of questions the league office will answer after reviewing video and reports from the officiating crew.
Author note: Last updated February 10, 2026.