J.B. Bickerstaff Sounds Off About Detroit Pistons Fight Against Charlotte Hornets

On a random Monday night in early February, punches were thrown.

In the Detroit Pistons' Eastern Conference bash against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Feb. 9, things between the two teams unfolded fast in the third period of play. While driving to the hoop, Jalen Duren was fouled by the Hornets' Moussa Diabate. Duren, who didn't appreciate the physicality, got face-to-face with Diabate before the two butt heads.

From there, everything broke loose and multiple other players ended up being involved in fights and scuffles. Diabate threw a punch at Duren, Charlotte's Miles Bridges then charged at him, Duren responded with a punch and then Pistons bully-man Isaiah Stewart came flying off the bench to confront Bridges. The two then got involved in a near wrestling match, with punches also being thrown.

In total, five individuals were ejected in the game, including Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart, with Hornets coach Charles Lee joining the four due to a fourth-quarter outburst.

After tensions died down, the Pistons would go on to sneak away with a victory, 110-104. Leading the charge for the team was Cade Cunningham, who posted an incredible 33 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. While Cunningham continued his MVP pace, his performance will fly under the radar due to the actions that occurred.

What Bickerstaff said about the fight

Following everything that unfolded, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff sat with the media in his postgame press conference and was very honest about his thoughts. He stood up for his players and defended what went down on the court.

"They're not the ones who crossed the line tonight," Bickerstaff said. "It’s clear there was frustration because of what (Duren) was doing, and they crossed a line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got …

"But if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a right to protect yourself."

JB defends his guys: "They're not the ones who crossed the line tonight. It’s clear there was frustration because of what (Duren) was doing, and they crossed a line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got … but if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a right to protect yourself."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 10, 2026

He went on to discuss the incident involving Stewart coming off the bench to support his teammate Duren, to which Bickerstaff also defended.

“Duren and Stew consider themselves to be brothers," he said. "If you run two guys at one guy and you’ve already crossed the line, human instinct tells him to protect his little brother.”

This season, the Pistons are one of the best teams in the league. Through 52 games played, the team has amassed a record of 39-13, holding the top spot in the conference.

While Cunningham has drawn the majority of the praise for his dominance on the court, situations like what unfolded on Monday show the deeper reason why the team has been so good this year: camaraderie.

When Pistons are involved in scuffles or moments where teammates need to step up for one another, it just happens with no second thoughts. Each of the players on the roster is bought into the mission of the team and what it means to stand by each other.

Moving forward, the coaching staff will have to make a few changes due to suspensions, which will likely be released on Tuesday, but with how well the Pistons have embodied a next-man-up mentality, it shouldn't cause much of a skid.

Up next, the Pistons will prepare to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. EST. The two sides will clash at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Hopefully in this game, everyone can keep their hands at their sides.