Things took a turn in Monday’s bout between the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons. In the middle of the third quarter, Moussa Diabate and Jalen Duren got into an altercation, which resulted in four players getting ejected from the game. On YouTube, a lip reader decoded what was said between Diabate and Duren.
Detroit snapped Charlotte’s nine-game win streak, 110-104. Pistons’ Cade Cunningham couldn’t be stopped, as he went for 33 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. But that’s not what most fans paid attention to in the game.
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In the middle of the third, things started to get a little chippy between the two big men. Diabate committed a foul on Duren as he tried to shoot from the post. Charlotte’s center went into the space of his opponent and started talking. The Pistons’ big man tried to get the opposing player out of his space by shoving his head.
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“Back yo head up,” Duren said.
After Duren shoved Diabate, things escalated. Miles Bridges pushed back, defending his Hornets teammate. Charlotte’s center, however, started swinging at the Pistons star. Fortunately for Duren, Diabate’s punches did not connect, and he tried to avoid the conflict.
Despite avoiding the situation, Diabate was determined to fight Duren and chased him by the sidelines. The Pistons star threatened him to stop.
“You want more? I’d stop, you won’t make it back.”
When people thought things had calmed down, Bridges kept going after Duren. He swung at the big man, who attempted to hit back. As the Charlotte forward was getting held back, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart ran after Bridges from the bench.
Stewart’s initial punch missed, but he got a hold of Bridges and repeatedly punched the back of his neck. All the players involved (Duren, Diabate, Bridges and Stewart) were ejected.
Hornets’ Diabate revealed the moment that triggered him
Hornets center Moussa Diabate was being patient throughout the game. However, he reached his boiling point in the third quarter. After the team practice on Tuesday, he revealed to the media that he couldn’t take the back-and-forth against Jalen Duren.
“When he put his hands on my face, that’s kind of when I lost control of it,” Diabate said on Tuesday. “Obviously, that’s when it happened.”
It was a moment of realization for Bridges, as well. According to the NBA veteran, he thought that he should’ve done something different.
“I should have just went to Moussa and made sure he was good,” Bridges said. “It’s a learning experience.”
Because of the fight that had happened, it’s expected that both the Hornets and Pistons players will receive a punishment. A suspension is likely to be issued by the NBA.
Edited by Reign Amurao
