NBA roundup: Heated clash sees Charlotte Hornets winning streak come to an end

[p]A bruising clash between the Eastern Conference-leading [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Pistons[/a] and the red-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/charlotte-hornets/xftMikUg/"]hot Hornets[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/charlotte-hornets-xftMikUg/detroit-pistons-UcjMRj6J/?mid=bH5iWZMs"]erupted into mayhem midway through the third quarter[/a] when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/whittaker-charlotte/Srr3t6Gd/"]Charlotte[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diabate-moussa/pMuj6GS8/"]Moussa Diabate[/a] fouled Detroit's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/duren-jalen/xva6ve5b/"]Jalen Duren[/a].[/p][p]Diabate and Duren went forehead-to-forehead, and Duren angrily shoved his opponent away with a hand to the face.[/p][p]That was the cue for a melee that saw scuffles and punches being thrown all over the court.[/p][p]After a delay of several minutes, the officiating crew ejected Duren and Detroit team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stewart-isaiah/ETLNkHdm/"]Isaiah Stewart[/a] along with Charlotte pair Diabate and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bridges-miles/GEWBYePl/"]Miles Bridges[/a].[/p][p]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.[/p][embed guid="b3473e09-dc70-45a8-93bd-59ab2f5ef652" url="https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/2021038073367114204?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]There was a further flashpoint in the fourth quarter when Hornets head coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/strawther-julian-lee/vVGcbiLI/"]Charles Lee[/a] was ejected after reacting furiously at a foul given against his team.[/p][p]Lee needed to be restrained by other members of the Charlotte coaching staff before being led off the court.[/p][p]Lee later praised his team's performance after they went toe-to-toe with the Pistons for long periods of the contest.[/p][p]"[b]That was a freaking great game for us,[/b]" Lee said. "[b]They are the number one team in the East and they bring a level of physicality and competitiveness to them.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I think that overall our guys responded to every run that they went on, and all the physicality.[/b]"[/p][p]Asked about the clash between Diabate and Duren that triggered the fight, Lee said: "[b]Two guys got in a heated conversation and then it kind of spiraled from there[/b]."[/p][p]Of his own ejection in the fourth quarter, Lee added: "[b]I gotta have a little bit better emotional control in that moment.[/b]"[/p][p]Detroit coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bickerstaff-t-j/6kNM5wCN/"]J.B. Bickerstaff[/a] pinned the blame for the flashpoint squarely on Charlotte's players, saying Duren had been defending himself.[/p][p]"[b]Our guys deal with a lot right?[/b]" Bickerstaff said. "[b]But they're not the ones that initiated it... they crossed the line.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That'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's what happened tonight.[/b][/p][p]"[b]Go back and watch the film. They're the ones that initiated crossing the line and our guy had to defend himself[/b]."[/p][p]Detroit's victory lifted them to 39-13 at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, clear of the second-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] (34-19). Charlotte remain in 10th place on 25-29.[/p][p]In other games, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] downed the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Milwaukee Bucks[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/milwaukee-bucks-QTBEW6rC/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/?mid=ULw3lZrQ"]118-99[/a] while the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/utah-jazz/hGuCX5Su/"]Utah Jazz[/a] upset the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami Heat[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/utah-jazz-hGuCX5Su/?mid=EDeGQVjJ"]115-111[/a].[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brooklyn-nets/bsAMUpDO/"]Brooklyn Nets[/a] (15-37) also scored an upset [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/brooklyn-nets-bsAMUpDO/chicago-bulls-bPjc49q0/?mid=Sdc8SiM6"]with a 123-115 defeat[/a] of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-bulls/bPjc49q0/"]Chicago Bulls[/a].[/p]