Charlotte: A third-quarter brawl that resulted in four player ejections and the removal of a head coach dominated Monday night’s NBA action, as the Detroit Pistons held off the Charlotte Hornets in a game expected to draw league scrutiny.
Pistons 110, Hornets 104
Cade Cunningham delivered a dominant performance with 33 points and nine rebounds as the Detroit Pistons snapped the Charlotte Hornets’ nine-game winning streak with a 110–104 victory Monday night in a game overshadowed by a third-quarter brawl and multiple ejections.
Detroit received strong support from Duncan Robinson, who scored 18 points, and Jalen Duren, who added 15 before being ejected for sparking a heated altercation midway through the third quarter.
The incident began when Duren was fouled by Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate while driving to the basket. The two exchanged words and appeared to bump heads before Duren struck Diabate in the face with an open hand. As teammates attempted to separate them, Diabate threw a punch, and Miles Bridges quickly joined the fray, charging at Duren.
Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart then left the bench area, escalating the confrontation.
After a chaotic scrum lasting more than 30 seconds, Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected.
Tensions remained high the rest of the night. Charlotte coach Charles Lee was ejected in the fourth quarter after angrily disputing a no-call and having to be restrained from confronting an official.
Despite the turmoil, Charlotte stayed within striking distance. Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 24 points, while LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel scored 20 apiece. The Hornets trimmed the deficit to four points in the final minute but missed two crucial three-point attempts on the same possession.
Tobias Harris knocked down a clutch jumper with 40 seconds remaining to give Detroit breathing room. Ball answered with a driving layup, but Cunningham calmly sealed the game by sinking two free throws with 10 seconds left.
Charlotte newcomer Coby White, acquired last week in a trade with Chicago, missed his third consecutive game due to a strained calf. White said before the game that the injury has lingered throughout the season but is steadily improving.
Detroit visits Milwaukee on Wednesday, while Charlotte travels to Houston on Thursday.
Pelicans 120, Kings 94
New Orleans — Trey Murphy III scored 21 points and made five three-pointers as the New Orleans Pelicans extended the Sacramento Kings’ losing streak to a franchise-worst 13 games.
Rookie first-round pick Jeremiah Fears added 20 points off the bench, including 14 in the second half. Zion Williamson scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and dished out six assists.
Murphy has made 23 of his last 40 attempts from beyond the arc over the past three games. Sacramento’s skid is its longest since the franchise relocated from Kansas City ahead of the 1985–86 season.
Maxime Raynaud recorded 21 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the Kings. Russell Westbrook scored 17, while Devin Carter and Nique Clifford added 12 and 10 respectively.
Nets 123, Bulls 115
New York — Nic Claxton recorded 28 points and 10 rebounds to lift Brooklyn past Chicago for its second straight win.
Noah Clowney scored 20 points, Drake Powell added 14 off the bench, and rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore contributed 13 apiece. Ziaire Williams finished with 11.
Anfernee Simons led Chicago with 23 points as the Bulls lost their fifth consecutive game. Collin Sexton scored 19 off the bench and rookie Matas Buzelis added 18.
Jazz 115, Heat 111
Miami — Brice Sensabaugh hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining as Utah rallied late to defeat Miami.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points, Lauri Markkanen added 17, and Kyle Filipowski finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Jazz erased a five-point deficit in the final four minutes.
Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 26 points, while Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 11 rebounds. Kasparas Jakucionis scored 20 but missed a potential tying three in the final seconds.
Magic 118, Bucks 99
Orlando, Fla. — Anthony Black scored 26 points and Desmond Bane added 25 as Orlando snapped Milwaukee’s season-long three-game winning streak.
Franz Wagner returned after missing 23 of the last 25 games with a high ankle sprain, coming off the bench for the first time in his career and finishing with 14 points and five rebounds.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Milwaukee with 28 points and seven assists, but the Bucks committed 20 turnovers and surrendered 67 points in the second half.
Timberwolves 138, Hawks 116
Minneapolis — Anthony Edwards scored 30 points as Minnesota rolled past a short-handed Atlanta team.
Seven Timberwolves scored in double figures, including Julius Randle, who recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Ayo Dosunmu added 21 points off the bench in his second game since arriving from Chicago.
The game was briefly disrupted in the fourth quarter when Naz Reid and Mouhamed Gueye were ejected following an on-court altercation.
CJ McCollum scored 38 points for Atlanta, which has lost four of its last five and was without several key rotation players.
Source: NBA, Sportsnet
Discussion about this post