Pistons’ Paul Reed reveals how Jalen Duren’s fight highlights team unity

Fans of the Detroit Pistons will always have dreadful memories of the “Malice at the Palace.” There were sudden flashbacks on Monday, as the Pistons got into a bench-clearing brawl against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

Fortunately, it did not escalate further, as cooler heads eventually prevailed. Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Moussa Diabate, and Miles Bridges were all ejected for fighting.

With Duren and Stewart out, Paul Reed was the next man up for the Pistons. While he wanted to help his teammates, he said he had to stay on the bench to avoid being ejected as well.

“I’m pretty sure everyone wanted to help JD out, even the guys on the bench. We got each other’s back 100,000%. But we gotta play basketball, we gotta win games, and, you know, we can’t just crash out,” explained Reed in the postgame interview.

“Somebody’s gotta stay poised and stay in the moment and understand what’s at stake.”

Paul Reed on the huge fight:

“I’m pretty sure everyone wanted to help Jalen Duren, even guys on the bench. We got each others back 100,000%. We gotta play basketball, gotta win games, we can’t just crash out. pic.twitter.com/RRhgY3KoAS

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) February 10, 2026

The Pistons won the battle, 110-104, snapping the Hornets’ nine-game winning streak. Reed contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and two steals in 18 minutes.

He will probably play a bigger role on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors, as Duren, who was named to the All-Star Game, and Stewart are expected to be suspended.

Fans on social media praised the 26-year-old Reed for remaining calm during the ugly fracas, with some even joking that a statue of him must be built outside Little Caesars Arena.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons against the Hornets, pouring in a game-high 33 points on 12-of-27 shooting. He added nine rebounds and seven assists.

The post Pistons’ Paul Reed reveals how Jalen Duren’s fight highlights team unity appeared first on ClutchPoints.