Chaos erupted during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 123-104 win against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, as a heated altercation resulted in the ejection of five players and two coaches.
The clash, which took place in Minneapolis, disrupted play early in the second quarter.
The incident began when Minnesota’s Naz Reid reacted to a bump by Detroit’s Ron Holland during a dribble. What started as a brief confrontation between the two quickly escalated into a full-blown melee, with players from both teams joining in.
The scuffle spilled into the courtside seating area, causing some spectators to vacate their seats.
Order was eventually restored, but tensions lingered as verbal exchanges continued between the teams. Officials decided to eject five players—Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, and Marcus Sasser from Detroit, along with Reid and Donte DiVincenzo from Minnesota.
Detroit head coach John-Blair Bickerstaff and Timberwolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni were also ejected for their roles in the altercation.
Bickerstaff later accused Prigioni of sparking the chaos by insulting his players. “I’m not going to let people say belligerent things about my guys,” he stated.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch pointed to Detroit’s physical style of play as a contributing factor. “Leading up to that, the game was way too physical… It just felt like it was coming,” Finch explained.
