In a heated clash between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons, five players and two coaches were ejected after a massive fight erupted in the second quarter, resulting in 12 technical fouls - the most recorded in an NBA game since March 2005. The altercation originated after a series of physical plays, notably involving Pistons center Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves' Donte DiVincenzo. Coach JB Bickerstaff emphasized the importance of players having each other’s backs, while Timberwolves coach Chris Finch noted that the game's intensity had escalated to an unacceptable level.
'Obviously things went too far,' Bickerstaff said. 'But what you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to protect one another, guys trying to have each other's backs ... Those are non-negotiables in our locker room.'
The skirmish began with the Pistons up 39-30. Stewart had received a technical foul just moments earlier when he bumped DiVincenzo hard after the whistle. Then Holland was called for a foul as he slapped the ball out of Reid's hands near the baseline.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said, 'I thought leading up to that the game was way too physical. It's unfortunate, but we knew they were a super physical team. They hit you, they hold you, they do all the stuff that you want your physical teams to do. But I just thought it got to a point.'
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