The atmosphere in Little Caesars Arena snapped without warning tonight as a routine possession during tonight’s NBA Cup game turned electric in an instant. The Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham was called for a technical foul on the Orlando Magic’s Desmond Bane, but no one understood why. Fans saw the officials suddenly blow their whistles as players stepped towards each other, but the scuffle died down before anything major could happen. What happened between the two teams?

It began on a dead ball. Cunningham was walking over to his team’s side of the court when Desmond Bane shoulder-checked him, and the Pistons guard responded by shoving Bane back as officials rushed in. Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff was heated, seen yelling at the officials in real time, for which, he was assessed a technical foul.

The frustration was palpable, but not unlike Bickerstaff, who has a reputation as an outspoken leader on the sideline, as well as someone not afraid to stand up for his players.

As the sequence was replayed on the broadcast, Analyst Greg Kelser narrated what happened pointing to Bickerstaff. “Now, JB Bickerstaff, who’s already a little upset about things, has a few words with the officials, and I’m sure he’s probably saying, ‘See, that right there is why this game might be getting a slight bit out of control’.”

This wasn’t the only time tonight that Detroit got called for a technical tonight either. Later in the game, Cade was being chased by Orlando guard Anthony Black, and was annoyed at a perceived no-call as Black might have grabbed him. Cunningham argued with a referee, who immediately assessed him with a technical, and the guard had to be held back by Bickerstaff to prevent the situation from getting any worse.

The game was chippy throughout, and ultimately ended in disappointment for the Pistons, losing by three in a hard fought game. With the win tonight, the Magic have secured their spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a lossless record.

Magic Advance In NBA Cup as Cade Cunningham’s Triple-Double Falls Short

Desmond Bane was unstoppable from the moment that the matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons tipped off. He poured in 37 points and logged eight rebounds, leading his team to the win and securing their spot in the NBA Cup’s Knockout stage. Franz Wagner added 21 points, while Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs dropped a combined 30 points with seven steals, giving the Magic control in key stretches.

Despite the loss, Cade Cunningham recorded one of the best performances in the tournament this year with a 39-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, but his night was marked with frustration, especially since the technical foul that Detroit was hit with after the Bane confrontation led to Orlando’s closing run. Cunningham had eight turnovers, continually stalling the team’s attempts to close the gap.

Late in the fourth, Detroit managed to claw back from a 10-point deficit, tying the game at 100, and taking a one-point lead after a deep Cunningham three with less than three minutes on the clock. Bane punched back with a decisive and-one bucket, taking the lead for good. Suggs knocked down two clutch free throws down the stretch, and Black blocked Duncan Robinson’s last second three to send the Pistons back home, now two losses removed from a 13-game win-streak.