Five players, two coaches ejected after Pistons-Timberwolves brawl
from Clark Dalton with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
On Sunday, a brawl broke out early in the second quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 123-104 home win over the Detroit Pistons.
With the Pistons leading 39-29 and 8:36 remaining in the second quarter, Timberwolves center Naz Reid drove to the basket and Pistons rookie forward Ron Holland II fouled him.
Reid and Holland exchanged words after the play. Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo then grabbed Holland’s jersey, and soon all 10 players on the court and multiple coaches and trainers were involved in a melee along the baseline. The fight would spill into the stands.
As officials stopped it, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Timberwolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni screamed at each other before team personnel separated them.
Reid, DiVincenzo, Holland, Pistons center Isaiah Stewart, Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, Bickerstaff and Prigioni were ejected. Pistons assistant coach Luke Walton assumed head-coaching duties for Bickerstaff.
Patrick Donnelly of the Associated Press wrote the fight “played out just 20 feet in front of new Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez.”
Bleacher Report shared a video of Rodriguez giving a young fan a jersey after he was caught in the middle of the scuffle.
The NBA has yet to announce fines or punishments for players and coaches involved in the skirmish.