Jamaine Punzalan

Moussa Diabate #14 and Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets fight Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on Feb. 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. David Jensen, Getty Images/AFP

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Detroit Pistons v Charlotte Hornets

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770694657631AFP__20260210__2260799521__v2__MidRes__DetroitPistonsVCharlotteHornets.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Moussa Diabate #14 and Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets fight Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on Feb. 9, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. David Jensen, Getty Images/AFP </div>LOS ANGELES (2nd UPDATE) -- Cade Cunningham scored 33 points as the Detroit Pistons ended the Charlotte Hornets&#x27; nine-game winning streak on Monday with a stormy 110-104 victory overshadowed by a mass brawl that saw four players ejected.A bruising clash between the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons and the red-hot Hornets erupted into mayhem midway through the third quarter when Charlotte&#x27;s Moussa Diabate fouled Detroit&#x27;s Jalen Duren.Diabate and Duren went forehead-to-forehead, and Duren angrily shoved his opponent away with a hand to the face.That was the cue for a melee that saw scuffles and punches being thrown all over the court.After a delay of several minutes, the officiating crew ejected Duren and Detroit team-mate Isaiah Stewart along with Charlotte pair Diabate and Miles Bridges.Stewart had sprinted off the bench to join the fight, attempting to aim a blow at Bridges, who had thrown a punch at Duren as tempers flared.There was a further flashpoint in the fourth quarter when Hornets head coach Charles Lee was ejected after reacting furiously at a foul given against his team.Lee needed to be restrained by other members of the Charlotte coaching staff before being led off the court.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/2/9/apologetic-turkish-center-sengun-replaces-shai-as-nba-all-star-1230">Apologetic Turkish center Sengun replaces Shai as NBA All-Star</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/2/9/nba-leonard-s-41-leads-clippers-over-t-wolves-knicks-cruise-1229">NBA: Leonard&#x27;s 41 leads Clippers over T-Wolves, Knicks cruise </a></div><div> </div><div>- &#x27;They crossed the line&#x27; -</div>Lee later praised his team&#x27;s performance after they went toe-to-toe with the Pistons for long periods of the contest.&quot;That was a freaking great game for us,&quot; Lee said. &quot;They are the number one team in the East and they bring a level of physicality and competitiveness to them.&quot;I think that overall our guys responded to every run that they went on, and all the physicality.&quot;Asked about the clash between Diabate and Duren that triggered the fight, Lee said: &quot;Two guys got in a heated conversation and then it kind of spiraled from there.&quot;Of his own ejection in the fourth quarter, Lee added: &quot;I gotta have a little bit better emotional control in that moment.&quot;Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff pinned the blame for the flashpoint squarely on Charlotte&#x27;s players, saying Duren had been defending himself.&quot;Our guys deal with a lot right?&quot; Bickerstaff said. &quot;But they&#x27;re not the ones that initiated it... they crossed the line.&quot;I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That&#x27;s not something you ever want to see. But if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself and that&#x27;s what happened tonight.&quot;Go back and watch the film. They&#x27;re the ones that initiated crossing the line and our guy had to defend himself.&quot;Detroit&#x27;s victory lifted them to 39-13 at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, clear of the second-placed New York Knicks (34-19). Charlotte remain in 10th place on 25-29.There were more ejections elsewhere Monday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves&#x27; Naz Reid and Atlanta&#x27;s Mo Gueye getting tossed during an ugly melee in the fourth quarter of their game, which ended in a 138-116 victory for Minnesota.In Los Angeles, the Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 41-13 with a 119-110 defeat of the Lakers. Jalen Williams led the scoring with 23 points for the reigning NBA champions, who were once again missing the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.In Denver, Donovan Mitchell finished with 32 points and James Harden added 22 as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a triple-double performance from Nikola Jokic to defeat the Nuggets 119-117.Jokic finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for Denver.The Orlando Magic downed the Milwaukee Bucks 118-99 while the Utah Jazz upset the Miami Heat 115-111.The Brooklyn Nets (15-37) also scored an upset with a 123-115 defeat of the Chicago Bulls.

Cade Cunningham scored 33 points as the Detroit Pistons ended the Charlotte Hornets' nine-game winning streak on Monday with a stormy 110-104 victory overshadowed by a mass brawl that saw four players ejected.

Cade Cunningham scored 33 points as the Detroit Pistons ended the Charlotte Hornets' nine-game winning streak on Monday with a stormy 110-104 victory overshadowed by a mass brawl that saw four players ejected.

Basket-brawl as five ejected in Pistons-Hornets clash

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Basket-brawl as five ejected in Pistons-Hornets clash

Agence France-Presse

Published February 10, 2026 11:39 AM PHT

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Updated February 10, 2026 01:54 PM PHT

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