The final score of the game was the undercard instead of the main event.
Emotions boiled over during Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, as several players took part in a fight that spilled into the front row of the Target Center stands. When the smoke cleared, five players and two coaches were ejected and sent to the showers early.
The play that started the melee appeared to be common, as Pistons’ rookie Ron Holland attempted to strip the ball from Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who was gathering for a layup with 8:36 remaining in the first half. A foul was called, but Reid took exception to the maneuver and immediately walked over to Holland while wagging his finger in his face. Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, who initially appeared to step in with the intensions of playing the role of peacemaker, was then pushed away by Holland, which kicked off the more aggressive part of the altercation.
DiVincenzo, who is in his first year with the Timberwolves, ran back over to Holland and the two players got intertwined in a shoving match. As teammates came to the aid of both players, the momentum of the scrum carried over into the front row of the baseline stands, knocking over a cameraman in the process.
“Obviously things went too far,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “But what you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to protect one another, guys trying to have each other’s backs. … Those are non-negotiables in our locker room.”
After the officials went to replay and sorted everything out, they handed out seven total ejections:
Timberwolves: Reid, DiVincenzo and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni
Pistons: Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser and head coach Bickerstaff
“I thought leading up to that the game was way too physical,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “It’s unfortunate, but we knew they were a super physical team. They hit you, they hold you, all the stuff that you want your physical teams to do. But I just thought it got to a point where players were going to take matters into their own hands. You don’t ever want that.”
The league office will review the video of the incident and decide whether any further punishment is necessary, however, it is critical to note that it did not appear that any players left the bench, which would result in an automatic suspension and a hefty fine up to $50,000. It also did not appear that any punches were thrown or that any players were injured, but the NBA’s eyebrows are generally raised, with good reason and cause, when any sort of altercation spills into the stands and potentially puts fans at risk.
Intensity was likely high during the game as both teams are involved in heated dog fights for playoff positioning. The Pistons are attempting to earn the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee home-court advantage at Little Caesars Arena in the first round. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves, who came into Sunday’s game at No. 7 in the West, are trying desperately to get above the Play-In line by earning the No. 6 seed (or higher) over the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Timberwolves rallied from an early 16-point deficit to beat the Pistons 123-104.
