A mass all-in brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday quickly went downhill and spilled into the stands at Target Center in Minneapolis, resulting in the ejection of seven players and coaches.
Detroit lost head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, center Isaiah Stewart, forward Ron Holland II and guard Marcus Sasser after the melee.
Minnesota forward Naz Reid and guard Donte DiVincenzo also were tossed, along with assistant coach Pablo Prigioni.
“Obviously things went too far,” a chastened Bickerstaff confessed after the game. “But what you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to protect one another, guys trying to have each other’s backs. … Those are non-negotiables in our locker room.”
The chaos erupted early in the second quarter when Minnesota’s Naz Reid took exception to being bumped by Detroit’s Ron Holland as he drove towards the basket.
Reid jabbed a finger angrily at Holland as the two players squared up after the incident. It escalated rapidly, with players from both sides being sucked into the melee that spilled into the spectator seats at courtside, AFP reports.
The Wolves’ Donte DiVincenzo was in the thick of the uproar and tumbled backwards into the seating as a scrum of players and team officials grappled around him.
The protracted scrap lasted around a minute before tempers cooled and the officiating crew began to determine who was at fault.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch later suggested Detroit’s overly physical approach early in the game had triggered the flashpoint.
Asked for his view of the incident, Finch replied: “Two guys went at it, and then spilled over into the crowd which was super dangerous.
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (00) left, and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, middle, fight during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“Then obviously it just kept escalating, and escalating, mostly from their side to be honest with you.
“I thought leading up to that the game was way too physical. It was a little lopsided in its physicality and I thought it was bound to happen. It just felt like it was coming.
“We knew they were a super physical team. They hit you, they hold you…but I just thought it got to a point where players were going to take matters into their own hands, and you don’t ever want that.”
