Keith Langlois

No. 1 in the East cooled off the NBA's hottest team, but that almost became a subplot.

"They're the ones that initiated crossing the line and our guy had to defend himself."

On a fiery night in Charlotte for the Pistons:

www.nba.com/pistons/news...

FINAL: Pistons 110, Hornets 104

Pistons snap Charlotte's 9-game winning streak but now await NBA hammer after a brawl that saw Duren, Stewart ejected. Cade Cunningham 33/9/7.

Pistons win despite getting outscored by 42 points from 3-point line. Paul Reed huge off bench.

END 3Q: Pistons 88, Hornets 78

Pistons 4 of 23 from 3, Hornets 15 of 34. Paul Reed, after ejections of Duren & Stewart, 8 points, 2 blocks and a steal in 7 minutes. How long can he go and who plays center when he sits? Tobias Harris, likely. Hornets also missing Diabate.

Duren and Stewart, Bridges and Diabate all ejected. Paul Reed, get ready. Tolu Smith is on a G League assignment, so Pistons will be short up front. Now we wait on what the NBA office says

Fists thrown at Charlotte. Started with Moussa Diabate and Jalen Duren with Diabate throwing fists. Isaiah Stewart came off the bench to tangle with Miles Bridges. This is going to take a while to sort out.

HALF: Pistons 61, Hornets 57

A 14-2 run to end half for Pistons. Hornets opened 12 of 21 from 3, missed last four. Cade Cunningham 19/5/6. When you're outscored by 30 from 3-point line and lead, you'll take it.

Pistons timeout at 6:38 2Q, trailing 49-42. Pistons started 0 of 9 from 3 before Cade Cunningham hit; Hornets sizzling at 10 of 18. Pistons big edge in points in the paint (22-8) and points off turnovers (10-2).

END 1Q: Hornets 33, Pistons 29

Pistons outscored 18-0 from 3-point line and 9-5 at FT line. Charlotte 6 of 10 from 3, including a bomb one step beyond mid-court at buzzer from Sion James. Pistons 0 of 6 from 3. Pistons 18-4 edge points in the paint.

Green staying in

Javonte Green looks like he hurt his left wrist when he hit the court after being fouled in mid-air by Sion James. Timeout and we'll see if he stays in to shoot the free throws. Pistons up 20-19 at 2:41.

"It feels like, to us, we have the perfect world of both."

J.B. Bickerstaff sees ideal balance in the Pistons team he and Trajan Langdon have crafted.

Plus Ausar Thompson, Daniss Jenkins & some All-Star Pistons history.

This week's Pistons Digest:

www.nba.com/pistons/news...

FINAL: Pistons 118, Knicks 80

The Pistons are 2-0 vs. NYK this season and have outscored them by 69 points.

Daniss Jenkins 18/4/3 in 18 minutes. When the Pistons play on Monday, expectation is he'll be playing on a standard NBA contract after having his 2-way converted.

END 3Q: Pistons 90, Knicks 60

Daniss Jenkins celebrating his last game on a 2-way contract in style with 18 points, 7 of 11 overall and 3 of 6 from 3. Pistons bench with 43 points.

Knicks timeout at 2:59 3Q. Pistons are winning for many reasons - 3-point shooting, Ausar Thompson suffocating Jalen Brunson - but also they've kept NY to 5 offensive rebounds, 3 on one possession (that ended scoreless). Mitchell Robinson has 0 offensive boards.

HALFTIME: Pistons 63, Knicks 42

Pistons 10 of 18 from 3. They have 31 bench points: Jenkins11, Green 8, Reed 7, LeVert 5 & 4 assists.

Jalen Brunson is 2 of 13. Ausar Thompson is wearing him out.

Pistons defy the scouting report, open 2Q by making 5 of 6 from 3 - 2 from Jenkins, 2 from Green, 1 from Reed. Knicks timeout at 8:34, Pistons up 45-28

END 1Q: Pistons 28, Knicks 17

Pistons went on 11-0 run snapped by a Clarkson 3, but Daniss Jenkins answers with a 3 at the buzzer

Knicks a lot more engaged defensively than a month ago here. Tied at 14 with 2:44 left in the quarter. Cade Cunningham 10 points, aggressive early, but also has picked up two reaching fouls - the kind J.B. Bickerstaff is trying to weed out.

They were always likely to see it through this season with their roster and chemistry makeup largely intact – a chemistry they are convinced is as critical to their success as anything else might be.

www.nba.com/pistons/news...

FINAL: Wizards 126, Pistons 117

Where do you start? Wizards outscored the Pistons by 27 from 3, shot 44 percent from arc. Pistons gave up 69 points to Washington's bench.

Everybody has a clunker or two over 82, this is as clunky as it gets.

Knicks tomorrow night.

END 3Q: Wizards 95, Pistons 84

Over the last 7 minutes of the second quarter and the last 3 minutes of the third, the Pistons outscored Washington 34-11. The rest of the game, it's Washington 84-50.

Wiz 14 of 31 from 3, Pistons 5 of 23. Everyone besides Duncan Robinson 1 of 14.

Pistons trailed by 21 in the first half, pulled within 1, were down 4 at halftime. Washington again leads by 17 with 2:47 left 3Q. J.B. Bickerstaff sent Wendell Moore Jr. to the scorer's table to check in coming out of the timeout.

Jalen Duren out with right knee soreness

HALF: Wizards 56, Pistons 52

A 23-6 run to end the half for the Pistons after falling behind by 21. Pistons 2 of 17 from 3.

Kevin Huerter checks in to start 2Q, missed his first shot, a corner 3. Pistons 1 of 11 from three and now trail 41-23.

END 1Q: Wizards 34, Pistons 21

Pistons shot 28.6 percent, 1 of 9 from 3, 1 assist. Defense wasn't great, but the offense was one notch below flat.

Pistons authoring a strong candidate for worst quarter of the season, trailing Washington 31-16 with 1:40 left 1Q. If you believe in trap games, wedged between Denver and New York, this is it.

Michigan remains in winter's clutches, but there were hints of spring as the Pistons and Nuggets went at it in a game that evoked thoughts of what might be in a few months.

www.nba.com/pistons/news...

Michigan remains in winter's clutches, but there were hints of spring as the Pistons and Nuggets went at it in a game that evoked thoughts of what might be in a few months.

www.nba.com/pistons/news...

The Pistons trade of Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric from Chicago plus a first-round pick swap for 2026 from Minnesota is official