“The Moment You Move, You’re Going to Jail”: Sports World Gets Horrid Flashbacks of NBA’s Most Violent Fight as Chaos Ensues in Live Game

Published 12/29/2022, 12:19 AM EST
The recent Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic game was anything but orderly. When there are a bunch of athletes pumped with adrenaline and playing against each other at the highest level, it is only a matter of time before things go awry. That’s what happened at the Pistons vs Magic game. The venue turned chaotic following a sudden brawl breaking out between players on both sides, and it might just have prompted NBA fans to take a bad trip down memory lane to the Pistons’ infamous 2004 incident.
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On December 28, the Pistons faced the Magic at the Little Caesars Arena. While the fans had gathered to watch a game of basketball, what they got was a mid-game brawl between both teams.
NBA stars get involved in a scuffle
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It was at the end of the second quarter when things went south. Orlando Magic star Moritz Wagner and Detroit Pistons rookie Killian Hayes were both going after a loose ball that was headed for the sidelines. The Magic forward then seemed to purposely slow down so as to let the ball roll out of the sidelines. However, as Hayes tried going around Wagner, the latter seemed to shove him into the Pistons’ bench, and that’s when all hell broke loose. After righting himself, Hayes struck Wagner in the back of his head, following which other players and members of staff from each team got involved to try and separate the sparring players.
As the fight ensued, the announcers at the stadium could be heard cautioning the spectators to not move from their seats in an effort to control the situation.
“The moment you move, you’re going to jail,” an announcer could be heard saying to the crowd.
Several players got ejected following the fight. Wagner got a flagrant-2 foul and so did the Pistons’ Hayes and Hamidou Diallo. However, as many NBA fans will remember, this was not the Pistons’ most violent fight.
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The ‘Malice at the Palace’ took place back in 2004 between several NBA stars and the spectators in the stadium. It was one of the most violent fights in the league’s history and still continues to be so. The brawl took place during a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers. The fight ensued when Pistons’ Ben Wallace was fouled by Pacers’ Ron Artest in the last quarter. This led to an altercation between the two players. The fight was eventually broken up, but it soon got out of control when a fan threw a drink at Artest. Several players subsequently got involved in a fight with the spectators, resulting in the infamous incident.
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Pistons vs Magic
After the brawl settled, the Pistons went on to defeat the Magic 121-101. The Pistons’ Alec Burks scored 30 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. Teammate Saddiq Bey added 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Before getting ejected, Hayes had scored 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
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Magic’s Moritz Wagner scored 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. While Wendell Carter Jr. added 16 points with 8 rebounds and 1 assist. Magic rookie Paolo Banchero scored 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists on the night.
What was your reaction to the brawl that took place? Let us know in the comments below.