MINNEAPOLIS – The usually calm atmosphere of the Target Center erupted into chaos during the second quarter of Sunday night’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons. A brawl broke out, resulting in five players and two coaches being ejected from the match.
The altercation began with 8:36 left in the half, with the Pistons leading 39-30. After a hard bump from Detroit’s Ron Holland, Timberwolves forward Naz Reid reacted, and tensions escalated rapidly. Players from both teams rushed into the fray, leading to a melee that even spilled into the spectator seats.
The officials faced the challenging task of restoring order as anger flared on the court. Eventually, five players were sent packing: Isaiah Stewart, Holland, and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons, along with Reid and Donte DiVincenzo from the Timberwolves. Additionally, Timberwolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni and Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also received ejections.
“Obviously, things went too far,” Bickerstaff commented post-game. “But what you see is guys looking out for one another, trying to protect each other. Those are non-negotiables in our locker room.”
The skirmish was marked by a significant exchange of words between Bickerstaff and Prigioni, further inflaming the situation. Bickerstaff later commented on Prigioni’s remarks regarding his players, emphasizing the importance of defending his team: “I’m not going to let people say belligerent things about my guys, and it’s that simple. So he said what he said, he knows what he said.”
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch added during his post-game talk that he felt the physicality of the game had escalated to a boiling point. “I thought leading up to that, the game was way too physical. It just felt like it was coming. We knew they were a super physical team, but it got to a point where players were going to take matters into their own hands, and you don’t ever want that,” he reflected.
Following the brawl, the Timberwolves managed to rally from an early 16-point deficit to secure a decisive 123-104 victory against the Pistons, showcasing their competitive spirit in the face of adversity.
