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Hornets’ Charles Lee ejected after arguing foul call vs. Pistons
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- Hornets’ Charles Lee ejected after arguing foul call vs. Pistons
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The Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons took "physical basketball" to a whole new level on Monday night, and head coach Charles Lee finally reached his breaking point.
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In a game that already featured a full-scale brawl and four player ejections, Charles Lee found himself headed to the locker room early after a heated exchange with official John Goble. The ejection put a cap on a chaotic evening at the Spectrum Center, where the Hornets saw their impressive nine-game winning streak snapped in a 110-104 loss.
The drama reached a secondary peak with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams was whistled for an offensive foul after colliding with Detroit Pistons big man Paul Reed . Charles Lee, who was recently named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for January, absolutely lost it.
He had to be physically restrained by LaMelo Ball , Brandon Miller , and even Grant Williams himself as he voiced his displeasure. The outburst earned him two quick technicals and his first career ejection as a head coach.
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It was the final straw in a game that felt like a throwback to the 90s. Earlier in the second half, a massive fight broke out after Jalen Duren fouled Moussa Diabate.
The ensuing scuffle resulted in the ejections of Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges for Charlotte, while Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart were tossed for Detroit. The short-handed Hornets tried to rally behind the hot shooting of Kon Knueppel , but the Detroit Pistons defense was too much to overcome in the closing minutes.
While the loss hurts, the focus remains on the fire Charles Lee showed. It is rare to see a coach have to be held back by his own players, but it clearly resonated with a Charlotte squad that refused to back down from the top seed in the East. The Hornets will look to start a new streak on Wednesday, hopefully with their coach on the sidelines for the full 48 minutes.
Related: Hornets' Kon Knueppel hits personal milestone amid chaos vs. Pistons
Related: Hornets' Sion James hit wild halfcourt shot at the buzzer despite tight defense
