Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, left, throws punches with Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, right, during a fight on the court Monday in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Nell Redmond / AP)
By Michael Schwarz February 10, 2026 at 1:49pm
The first-place Detroit Pistons currently control the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
On Monday, however, neither the Pistons nor their opponents, the streaking Charlotte Hornets, had full control of their emotions.
With 7:09 remaining in the third quarter and Detroit holding a 70-62 lead, a defensive foul by Charlotte forward Moussa Diabate triggered a melee that resulted in four player ejections and, according to ESPN, a “brief police presence on the floor.”
At the 7:13 mark, Pistons center Jalen Duren received an inbounds pass beyond the three-point line and drove aggressively to the basket. After an effective spin move, Duren ended up in the middle of the paint. There, Diabate committed a hard foul, though not a flagrant one.
The Detroit center, apparently having taken exception to the foul, then got into Diabate’s face. From there, the two appeared to butt heads before Duren shoved his right hand into Diabate’s left cheek.
At that point, the Charlotte center flew into a rage, swinging at Duren, overpowering teammates and even security personnel in an effort to get at his antagonist.
After cooler heads got Diabate under control, Hornets forward Miles Bridges went after Duren. That prompted Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart to leave the bench area and attack Bridges.
“This is out of control,” Hornets’ play-by-play announcer Eric Collins remarked.
Collins also predicted that Stewart would face a lengthy suspension for leaving the bench to fight.
All told, the physical confrontation lasted less than a minute.
Finally, after restoring order and reviewing the video, officials ejected Diabate, Duren, Bridges, and Stewart.
Detroit went on to win the game, 110-104.
Readers may view the entire incident in the YouTube video below.
Moments before the fight began, one could feel the game’s intensity building.
In fact, before the inbounds pass to Duren, Hornets’ color analyst Dell Curry referred to Detroit’s physical style of play.
“They got a reputation,” Curry said of the Pistons. “They’re gonna play physical, grab, hold, hit, and dare the officials to blow the whistle.”
Collins then noted that Detroit ranks second in the NBA in defensive efficiency. That statistic, of course, tends to reflect a team’s physical toughness.
Following Monday’s win, the Pistons now lead the Eastern Conference by a whopping five-and-a-half games.
Meanwhile, the Hornets, fighting for their playoff lives, entered the contest on a nine-game winning streak.
As for the two players involved in the initial scuffle, Duren ranks eighth in the NBA at 10.4 rebounds per game, while Diabate has held his own in that hustle-and-toughness-measuring category by pulling down 8.6 boards per game.
In other words, based on the teams, stakes, and players involved, the Pistons-Hornets contest featured a recipe for above-normal intensity.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
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