MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – As both teams fought for playoff position, seven people were ejected during a brawl during the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons game on Sunday.
Tense game turns physical in Minneapolis
Timeline:
The Wolves were hosting the Pistons at the Target Center on Sunday night. The trouble began in the second quarter as the Pistons led the Wolves 37-28.
With about 9:01 left in the second, Pistons center Isaiah Stewart, a well-known enforcer for Detroit, shoved Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, leading to Rudy Gobert getting into Stewart’s face. Refs separated the players, called a technical foul on Stewart, and the game went on for about 20 seconds.
At that point, Naz Reid drove to the paint and drew a foul from rookie Ronald Holland heading towards the rim. That turns into another faceoff between Holland, DiVincenzo and Reid, as Reid starts wagging his finger in Holland’s face. DiVincenzo shoves Holland as he continues to move towards Reid. That turns into a scuffle involving multiple players, with Holland and DiVincenzo at the center.
Seven players ejected in Wolves-Pistons
What we know:
The scuffle pushed into the baseline area, with even the FanDuel cameraman getting plowed over, and players grappling in the front row of fans. Even as the players were dispersed, coaches from both teams seemed to get heated, with Pistons head coach J. B. Bickerstaff sharing some words with Wolves assistant Pablo Prigioni.
Ultimately, seven people were ejected by the officials: Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Pablo Prigioni for the Wolves and Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, and J.B. Bickerstaff for the Pistons.
What’s next:
Play resumed after about ten minutes of review. It’s unclear if the altercation will lead to further punishment from the league down the final stretch ahead of the playoffs.
