TITLE: Pistons Stop Hornets’ Nine-Game Surge in Brawl-Marred 110-104 Win
SLUG: pistons-end-hornets-nine-game-streak-brawl
CONTENT:
The Detroit Pistons snapped the Charlotte Hornets’ nine-game winning streak with a 110-104 victory Monday night at Spectrum Center, a game dominated by a third-quarter fight that produced four player ejections and later sent Hornets head coach Charles Lee to the locker room.
Charlotte trailed 70-62 midway through the third period when Pistons center Jalen Duren and Hornets forward Moussa Diabate became entangled in the paint. After an initial foul call, the two exchanged words and contact. Miles Bridges sprinted toward Duren, and Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart left the bench to intervene, sparking a scrum that spilled across the lane.
Following video review, crew chief John Goble assessed fighting penalties and ejected Duren, Diabate, Bridges, and Stewart. “The respective players engaged in fighting activity during a dead ball,” Goble said. “By rule, they were ejected.”
Tempers flared again with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Lee charged onto the floor to protest an offensive foul on Charlotte’s Grant Williams. Rookie wing Brandon Miller restrained his coach as officials issued a technical and tossed Lee, giving the night its fifth ejection. “I take ownership of it,” Lee said afterward, adding that he felt the game lacked “consistency” in calls. Goble countered that Lee “aggressively pursued the official and had to be restrained.”
Assistant coach Lamar Skeeter guided the Hornets the rest of the way, trimming a 12-point deficit to two in the final minute before Detroit closed it out at the free-throw line. The loss halted Charlotte’s bid for a 10th straight win, while Detroit preserved its position atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Miller, who finished with a team-high 24 points, said the confrontation reflected competitive emotion. “A lot of guys doing what they love. Emotions are high. Stuff escalates sometimes,” he noted.
Lee preferred to emphasize the effort over the outcome. “We played the top seed in the East. The physicality, the competitiveness, it brings out the best in you. I think we got better tonight,” he said.
Source: Hoops Wire
