In an atmosphere eerily reminiscent of the “Malice at the Palace,” things got out of hand at Little Caesars Arena Wednesday night after Orlando Magics forward/center Moe Wagner shoved Killian Hayes of the Detroit Pistons into the bench area, prompting a brawl.
Late in the first half, Wagner attempted to beat Hayes to an errant pass before the two collided, sending the Pistons’ guard flying into the Detroit bench. Replays showed Wagner throwing his shoulder into Hayes as the two hustled for the loose ball.
Hayes’ teammate Hamidou Diallo took offense to Wagner’s push and responded with a push of his own. As a dust-up between the two teams ensued, Hayes can be seen rejoining the fray before throwing a punch to the back of Wagner’s head. The punch landed which such force that it appeared to briefly knock Wagner unconscious.
It took a few minutes for officials to restore order as the arena’s PA announcer shouted for fans not to move and remain in their seats or else risk being arrested.
All in all, Wagner, Hayes and Diallo were assessed technicals and ejected from the game.
It’s likely to be a messy situation for the NBA to unravel, especially when it comes to handing out punishment.
Hayes and Wagner are clearly in line for some kind of discipline, likely both a fine and a lengthy suspension. However, further muddying the waters is the fact that the majority of Orlando’s team left the bench and joined the fight, a big no-no in the NBA.
