Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff strongly backed the players after the 110-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets, insisting Detroit did not start the fight that overshadowed the result, which snapped Charlotte’s four-game winning streak and pushed the Pistons to 39-13 in the NBA season.
Cade Cunningham again led Detroit’s offence, finishing with 33 points and nine rebounds in a tense contest that turned chaotic in the second half. The game featured four player ejections, involved a prolonged on-court altercation, and later saw Charlotte coach Charles Lee removed after protests over a fourth-quarter foul call.
The major flashpoint arrived midway through the third quarter. Jalen Duren drove to the rim and was fouled by Moussa Diabate. Duren then
confronted Diabate, the pair went head-to-head, and Duren struck Diabate in the face, sparking a melee that continued for more than 30 seconds before officials and staff restored order.
During the clash, Pistons forward Tobias Harris tried to restrain Diabate, who responded by throwing a punch at Duren. Duren turned away, at which point Miles Bridges sprinted towards Duren and launched a left-handed punch. Duren hit back with a punch of his own as Diabate again attempted to reach Duren before being pulled away.
Isaiah Stewart escalated matters further after leaving the Pistons bench area to confront Bridges. Bridges answered with a punch, and the two players grappled as teammates and officials intervened. After review, the officials ejected Diabate and Bridges from the Hornets, along with Duren and Stewart from the Pistons, in a game already marked by physical play.
Bickerstaff argued that Detroit’s response came after provocation from Charlotte players and focused on how opponents have handled Duren’s impact. "Our guys deal with a lot, but they're not the ones that initiated, they're not the ones who crossed the line tonight," Bickerstaff said. "It was clear, through frustration, because of what J.D. [Duren] was doing, that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That's not something that you ever want to see, but if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That's what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they're the ones who initiated crossing the line, and our guy had to defend himself. "
Handled business. pic.twitter.com/PlaKCkOLA4Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 10, 2026
Duren downplayed the incident’s seriousness afterwards and declined to explain how the altercation started, pointing instead to video replays for full context. The 22-year-old centre described the contest as highly competitive and highlighted the intensity from both teams. "Emotions were flaring. At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard. "
Duren further stressed that Detroit has been tested all season by physical play and verbal tactics from rivals. "This isn't the first time that people have tried to be extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be," Duren said. "But as a group, we have done an OK job of handling that energy and intensity. At the end of the day, emotions got high with everybody being competitive. Things happen. "
The third-quarter fight stirred an already engaged home crowd, and the arena atmosphere intensified again during the fourth quarter when Charlotte coach Charles Lee was ejected. Lee had to be held back by Brandon Miller while arguing with officials after Grant Williams collided with Detroit’s Paul Reed on a play that drew a foul against Charlotte.
Lee criticised how that specific call compared with earlier decisions but acknowledged the difficulty of officiating such a physical NBA contest between the Pistons and Hornets. "Grant was walking down the paint and barely touched somebody, and the guy fell over and that is what we are going to call a foul," Lee said. "They have a hard job to make these calls, but I don't think that was the consistency with had been called the rest of the game. "
The Pistons emerged with the win and a key Eastern Conference statement, while the Hornets lost both the game and several players to ejection. The contest highlighted Detroit’s frustration with perceived targeting of Duren, Charlotte’s concern over officiating trends, and how quickly physical battles between competitive NBA teams can spill beyond normal game contact.
