Brawl Breaks Out in Timberwolves’ Win Over Pistons, Leading to Multiple Ejections

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A heated altercation in the second quarter led to the ejection of five players and two coaches during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 123-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, along with players Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland II, and Marcus Sasser, were all ejected. On the Timberwolves’ side, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo were tossed, as was Minnesota assistant coach Pablo Prigioni.

The incident erupted with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter, with the Pistons leading 39-30. Moments before, Stewart had already received a technical foul for aggressively bumping DiVincenzo after the whistle. Shortly after, Holland was called for a foul after swiping the ball from Reid near the baseline. Tensions escalated as Holland and Reid exchanged words, prompting DiVincenzo to step in and grab Holland’s jersey. Within seconds, all 10 players on the court, along with several coaches and team staff, were caught in the melee.

As order was being restored, Bickerstaff and Prigioni were seen shouting at each other and had to be separated by team personnel. The chaos unfolded just feet away from new Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, who left his courtside seat in the aftermath. At one point, he appeared to call for assistance for a young fan who had been caught in the commotion.

The game was marked by a staggering 12 technical fouls—the highest in an NBA matchup since March 23, 2005, according to OptaSTATS.

Despite trailing by 16 points early on, Minnesota mounted an impressive comeback to secure the win.