A massive melee broke out during the Charlotte Hornets’ matchup against the Detroit Pistons. We could be looking at multiple-game suspensions for Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for their roles in the fight, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the team is looking to rise in the standings further after recently overtaking the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed.
A series of unfortunate events
The brawl erupted five minutes into the fourth quarter with the Pistons leading 70-62. Jalen Duren drove to the basket with Diabate sticking to hip and drew a hard foul on the Hornets center. The big men started jawing at each other immediately after the whistle, with Duren deciding it was the best idea to put his hands on Moose’s face. That resulted in Diabate swinging at him, with Bridges also getting a shove in his chest.
Diabate persistently charged at Duren even while other players and coaches attempted to restrain him. Unfortunately, the incident didn’t stop there, with Bridges still continuing to talk smack with the first-time All-Star. But while Kon Knueppel had already seemingly cooled Diabate down, barely anyone kept Bridges in check, resulting in the Hornets vet rushing towards Duren and the pair exchanging punches that missed.
Isaiah Stewart, who was on the bench when the fracas began, then came running toward Bridges. Another fight broke out before cooler heads finally prevailed.
The aftermath
After a lengthy deliberation from the officials, the four players were understandably thrown out of the game. And following the resumption of play, the Pistons went on a 15-7 run. The Hornets have closed the gap a bit, but whether they win or lose this contest, the suspensions that are certainly going to be announced could be nightmare fuel for the squad.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Bridges and Diabate end up receiving suspensions of at least one game each, even if most of the blame for the tussle arguably shouldn’t be put on them. By the looks of it, Duren instigated everything, but the fact that the Hornets starters continued to be aggressors will certainly influence the league’s decision.
Now comes the tricky part. LaMelo Ball, who was subbed out at the time, was also seen stepping onto the court during the incident. He didn’t come near either of the two fights, but he still left the bench area, which the league might also look into.
Hopefully, Ball wouldn’t be suspended, especially since the Hornets will face the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers next to finish their four-game homestand.