The Detroit Pistons swept the season series against the Charlotte Hornets with a 118-100 win at Spectrum Center on Friday. Tempers have flared when these teams have met this season, and that was the case here as well. A real rivalry is developing, and Pistons star Jalen Duren sure doesn’t seem to have much love for these Hornets.
Duren appeared to tell Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff not to shake hands with the Hornets as time was winding down.
Jalen Duren seemingly asked JB Bickerstaff to skip shaking hands with the Hornets tonight.
This rivalry is exactly what the NBA needs. (h/t @Fullcourtpass) pic.twitter.com/TpfV55KhpC
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 11, 2026
It doesn’t look like Bickerstaff initially wanted to listen to Duren, but then waved to the Hornets bench and walked away. Hopefully, we’ll get a playoff series between these teams, as that would be must-watch television.
Of course, the bad blood here originates from the last meeting between these teams on Feb. 9. A massive brawl broke out that night, with Duren at the center of it. He and Hornets center Moussa Diabate got in each other’s faces after a foul, and all hell broke loose after that.
Duren put his hand on Diabate’s face, which incensed the Frenchman. He looked to punch the Pistons center on multiple occasions and had to be held back. Miles Bridges and Duren then threw punches at each other, after which Isaiah Stewart got involved. Stewart and Bridges would get into a wrestling match before security finally got control of the situation.
As you might expect, all four men were ejected. Stewart was later suspended for seven games by the NBA, while Diabate and Bridges were suspended for four. Duren received the lightest punishment, getting a two-game suspension.
We now get to Friday’s game, and Duren surprisingly ended up playing peacemaker. Duncan Robinson and Brandon Miller got into a shoving match in the first quarter, and the one-time All-Star got in between them.
George Blaha on Brandon Miller after the dust up with Duncan Robinson
“These guys acting like they’re a Play-In team.” pic.twitter.com/8MLubO5F9A
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) April 10, 2026
Robinson and Miller were slapped with technical fouls, but no one was ejected. That was the right call, too.
The Pistons and Hornets would go on to trade blows for much of the night, as we got 11 lead changes. An electric finish appeared to be on the cards, but the visitors dominated in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons won the quarter 25-10 as they put the clamps on that high-flying Hornets offense. It was an impressive defensive display, and it earned them their second straight win.
Duren would finish with 20 points (8-11 FG), nine rebounds, and four assists on the night. The 22-year-old helped the Pistons improve to 59-22, and they will be the third team to get to 60 wins if they win their final regular-season game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
As for the Hornets, they dropped to 43-38 and are ninth in the East. They will be in the play-in tournament and could well end up facing the top-seeded Pistons in the first round.
