Seven ejected after Pistons-Wolves brawl spills into the crowd

The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a 123-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons in a game that will be remembered for a mass brawl that broke out in the second quarter.

The two teams came into the game with identical 42-32 records and there was plenty to play for at Target Center. The Pistons took a 34-20 lead after the first quarter but they crumbled after the fight and fell to a second loss in seven games.

The fight began with eight minutes remaining in the first half, at which point the Pistons were leading 39-90. Detroit center Isaiah Stewart had been called for a technical foul immediately before and he bumped Donte DiVincenzo after the whistle, sparking a confrontation between the two players. Pistons forward Ron Holland II was quickly on the scene and he squared up with DiVincenzo.

Within moments, all ten players on the court were grappling on the edge of the court and numerous coaches and trainers ran across in a bid to separate the players. The brawl spilled into the crowd and a number of players appeared to fall on supporters sitting in the front few seats. It took some time for the chaos to pass and officials set about dishing out punishments for those involved.

Who was ejected in Pistons-Wolves?

The seven ejections included five players and two coaches, one from each team. From the Timberwolves, DiVincenzo and Naz Reid were ejected, along with assistant coach Pablo Prigioni. The Pistons lost Holland, Stewart and Marcus Sasser, as well as head coach JB Bickerstaff.

“There were things said by their assistant coach and I’m in the same boat as my guys are in — we’re going to defend ourselves,” Bickerstaff told reporters after the game. “And I’m not going to let people say belligerent things about my guys … He [Prigioni] said what he said, and I don’t think it crossed the line of escalation of anything but in that moment I understand the refs’ position but you just can’t say anything to people or about people and expect it to be okay.”

The Athletic reports that the incident appeared to affect a young fan seated in the front row, who was close to the incident. He did not require medical attention and Wolves coach Chris Finch, followed by team owner Alex Rodriguez, came to check on him.

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