What Jalen Duren said in the locker room after the Hornets’ wild fight

Last night’s fight between Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets has dominated the NBA news cycle, especially since suspensions are certain for several participants in the brawl. But Jalen Duren, after the incident for which he was expelled, he gave a judicious answer to the quarrel.

“Just an overly competitive game, emotions flare,” Duren he told reporters after the game. “At the end of the day, we’d like to keep basketball, but things happen. Everybody just plays hard.”

Duren, when asked if the fight, which occurred nearly halfway through the third quarter, was the result of an altercation in the first half, seemed to indicate that the trash talk played a factor.

“As the year goes on, teams like to try to get in our heads,” Duren said. “It’s not the first time people have tried to be, you know, extra aggressive with us, talk to us, whatever the case may be. I think as a group we did a good job with that energy and intensity, but at the end of the day, emotions ran high, we’re all competitive — we’re all men, so things happen.”

Jalen Duren on tonight’s scrimmage:

“Just an overly competitive game, emotions flare. At the end of the day, we’d like to keep it basketball, but things happen.” pic.twitter.com/4ek7jsdtcT

— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) February 10, 2026

The officials ejected Durenalong with Hornets’ Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, as well as teammate Isaiah Stewart, the latter of whom rushed off the bench to confront Bridges. Stewart responded to Bridges’ attempted jab at Duren, eventually latching on to Bridges and landing a few punches before they were separated. The fight itself began between Duren and Diabate, as a foul by Diabate on Duren led to the two going head-to-head. Duren then shoved Diabate in the face, prompting Bridges to shove Duren and Diabate swung at Duren several times.

The NBA has yet to announce punishments for the players involved in the brawl, though it is suspected that Stewart will receive the harshest punishment. Stewart, who has the third-most technical fouls in the league this season, has been suspended four times before; three have involved fights, including one less than a year ago against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His first NBA suspension was notably for a 2021 incident involving Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, who drew blood from Stewart when he punched him in the face. Stewart went through multiple people in several attempts to get to James, earning him a two-game ban.

Detroit, the best team in the Eastern Conference, continues its road trip tomorrow with a game in Toronto against the Raptors. The Pistons and Hornets will meet for the last time this season on April 10 in Charlotte.