Pistons-Cavs forced to use air horn after malfunction causes delay

NBA games are usually decided by whoever puts the ball in the hoop most often, but on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena, the biggest opponent was not a player; it was a malfunctioning buzzer. During a third-quarter stretch between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a sudden power surge triggered a relentless, blaring horn that brought the action to a screeching halt.

For nearly 20 minutes, players and fans sat in a bizarre limbo as arena technicians scrambled to silence the noise. The glitch did more than just stop the sound; it wiped out the game clocks and the shot clocks, forcing the officiating crew to take more manual measures.

To keep the game moving, the arena staff eventually resorted to using a handheld air horn to signal the end of possessions and quarters. It was a scene more reminiscent of a local rec league than a professional NBA environment, but the officials had to make it work.

A horn delay?

That's what's currently going on in Cavs-Pistons

(via @omarisankofa)pic.twitter.com/D4QVx9G2HL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 28, 2026

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