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Imago

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Imago

Last night’s matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons was bound to be a hard-fought one, but no one expected to see what actually happened. In a game that the Pistons stole 110-104, all the attention was stolen by an altercation between Pistons center Jalen Duren and Hornets center Moussa Diabate. Now, leaked audio seems to reveal more about what happened.

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X user @legendz_prod, known for transcribing game audio to reveal what was said, did the same for last night’s game, and it seems like the tension had been simmering for a few possessions. Duren seemed frustrated after Diabate, known as a great rebounder, was holding him during boxouts and repeatedly appealed to the refs to have it called.

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After jawing with the officials, Duren looked Diabate and warned him not to keep grabbing, telling him to “Try me,” escalating the tone to a more confrontational one. Moments later, after absorbing a hard foul from his Hornets counterpart, Duren snapped.

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“You a b—-,” Duren yelled, grabbing Diabate by the face and shoving him backward. That was the spark, because things quickly went sideways. Diabate immediately went at Duren, throwing a punch that he dodged, and as teammates rushed towards the situation, Diabate yelled, “I’m gonna kill you, motherf—–,” trying to break away and get back at Duren as the two had to be separated by security.

It soon spread. Hornets forward Miles Bridges entered the confrontation, aggressively approaching Duren while exchanging words. According to the transcription, he was repeatedly yelling, “What’s up, n—-?” and that’s where things got even worse.

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This prompted Pistons reserve Isaiah Stewart to sprint off Detroit’s bench and onto a floor, a violation that often results in a suspension. He rushed towards Bridges, attempting to throw a punch before the two got entangled in a physical confrontation.

Many angles made it look like Stewart connected with his punch, but alternative ones show him grabbing Bridges’ hair as staff and officials tried to pull them apart.

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NBA Likely to Review Brawl as Suspensions Loom for Jalen Duren, Moussa Diabate, and Others

In the aftermath, Cade Cunningham was visibly upset, stepping towards Stewart and telling him to relax, while teammate Ausar Thompson had to position himself between his teammates to prevent any further escalation.

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USA Today via Reuters

On the Hornets’ side, LaMelo Ball was seen supporting Diabate while trying to calm him down. As security attempted to escort the center away, he repeatedly shouted, “Let me go,” trying to re-engage.

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Duren, Diabate, Stewart and Bridges were all ejected, and now, league action might await. The NBA is almost certainly going to hand out suspensions for the fight, with Stewart being a particular party to keep an eye on. The big man has already served suspensions before for getting into altercations, and repeated incidents can lead to an increased punishent.

Both Detroit and Charlotte are risking losing key pieces of their rotation due to this incident. ESPN insider Bobby Marks in particular highlighted one aspect.

“We aren’t going to see Isaiah Stewart for a very long time,” he said. “Repeat offender status will certainly come into play.”

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Only time will tell how harsh the punishments end up being.

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