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What Pistons’ Jalen Duren said in locker room after wild Hornets brawl
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Last night's brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets has dominated the NBA news cycle, especially since suspensions are certain to come for several participants in the fight. But Jalen Duren, following the incident for which he was ejected, gave a level-headed response to the fracas.
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"Just an overly competitive game, emotions flaring," Duren told reporters postgame. "At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody's just playing hard."
Duren, when asked if the fight, which came almost midway through the third quarter, was a result of back-and-forth bickering in the first half, seemed to indicate that the trash talk played a factor.
"As the year's been going on, teams like to try to get in our head," Duren said. "This ain't the first time people have tried to be, you know, extra aggressive with us, talk to us, whatever the case may be. I think as a group, we've done an OK job handling that energy and intensity, but at the end of the day, emotions got high, everybody being competitive — we're all men, so things happen."
The officials ejected Duren , along with the Hornets' Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges , as well as teammate Isaiah Stewart , the latter of whom sprinted off the bench to confront Bridges. Stewart responded to a Bridges punch attempt toward Duren, eventually grabbing hold of Bridges and throwing several punches before they separated. The fight itself began between Duren and Diabate, as a foul by Diabate on Duren led to the two going forehead-to-forehead. Duren then pushed Diabate in the face, which prompted Bridges to shove Duren, and Diabate took a few swings at Duren.
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The NBA has yet to announce the punishments for the players involved in the brawl, although it is highly suspected that Stewart will receive the harshest penalty . Stewart, who has the third-most technical fouls in the league this season, has been suspended four times previously; three involved fights, including one less than a year ago against the Minnesota Timberwolves . His first NBA suspension was notably over a 2021 incident involving the Los Angeles Lakers ' LeBron James , who drew blood from Stewart when he struck him in the face. Stewart barreled through multiple people in several attempts to get to James, which earned him a two-game ban.
Detroit, the Eastern Conference's top team, continues its road trip tomorrow for a game in Toronto against the Raptors. The Pistons and Hornets are set to meet for the final time this season on April 10 in Charlotte.
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