Spectrum Center was filled with chants of “lose” when the third quarter between the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons took a wild turn. An in-game foul turned into a brawl between two players, and instead of stopping that, their teammates jumped in as well. It was so bad that one of the most level-headed Hornets players had to be escorted out before the referees dished out punishments. It caused a lengthy stoppage, with the Pistons up 70-62 at the time.

The fight broke out when the Pistons’ All-Star center, Jalen Duren, had possession of the ball. His Hornets counterpart, Moussa Diabate, was guarding him when Duren knocked his shoulder into the 24-year-old’s face, and Diabate responded with a hard foul.

The two of them immediately became confrontational. That argument turned into an instant physical fight. Diabate’s teammate, Miles Bridges, jumped in from the opposite end, while the nearest Pistons players tried to stop Duren.

The bench-clearing brawl escalated with Diabate and Duren literally shaking off their coaches to chase each other and throw fists. Their teammates joined the fray, too, but not to de-escalate the situation.

Isaiah Stewart left the bench and went after Bridges, which didn’t help. It was so bad that the announcers said they’d never seen Diabate lose his cool.

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Security physically dragged Diabate to the locker room so that he would not make it worse. The referees finally reviewed the fight and ejected Diabate, Duren, Bridges, and Stewart from the game. However, the tension didn’t stop there.

Later in the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee argued a call, which led to his ejection as well, the fifth of the night. “After the foul call, Coach Lee comes onto the floor and aggressively pursues the official and had to be restrained by his player,” NBA referee John Goble mentioned in the pool interview after the game.

The biggest casualty in this fight could be Stewart, who has racked up multiple suspensions in 2025 and left the bench to join the fight, which is a major concern. His most recent ejection came in December after putting up a fist in Bobby Portis’ face and picking up a second technical. Keeping that problematic history in mind, tonight’s fight could result in a more severe punishment than what Duren or the Hornets players could face.

Pistons HC JB Bickerstaff argued the chaos started with Diabate’s actions. “They’re [Duren, Stewart] not the ones who crossed the line tonight. It’s clear there was frustration because of what [Duren] was doing, and they crossed a line,” Bickerstaff said during his post-game press conference.

The Hornets and Pistons are looking at bigger punishments

Once the security team had corralled Diabate and taken him away, Bridges jumped into the fight. He and Duren threw punches, but neither landed. At least they avoided injuries.

That made Stewart launch off the bench, and he had Bridges in a headlock, clearly an extreme escalation. Spectrum Center’s entire security team descended to break up the fight, and referees reviewed the footage, handing out fighting fouls, which are automatic ejections. So far, only ejections have been made.

All ejected players face a strong likelihood of fines and suspensions. But the consequences could be worse.

According to ESPN insider Bobby Marks, Stewart’s involvement, specifically leaving the bench during the altercation, could lead to one of the most significant disciplinary actions seen this season.

As multiple angles of the brawl surfaced online, Marks made an ominous prediction. “We aren’t going to see Isaiah Stewart for a very long time,” he said. “Repeat offender status will certainly come into play.”

Jalen Duren has to sit out the upcoming Slam Dunk contest because of a sore knee, and a fight could’ve made it worse. Miles Bridges returned from an ankle injury, and no fan wants to see him aggravate it.

The NBA usually announces punishments within 24 to 48 hours of the game. However, the timing can depend on the severity of the incident.