“Somebody Gotta Die”: Jaylen Brown Assesses Jalen Duren ‘Mushing’ Moussa Diabate’s Face During Hornets-Pistons Brawl

Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons(L), Jaylen Brown(R)

The Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons put on a show Monday night, albeit it had little to do with basketball. In the third quarter, players from both sides got into an all-out brawl that baffled spectators. Other NBA players who saw the footage later had strong reactions as well.

The altercation began when Moussa Diabate fouled Jalen Duren, who responded by pushing the Hornets center in the face. That quickly escalated the situation. Moments later, Isaiah Stewart came running from the Pistons bench and got into it with Miles Bridges, who had also stepped into the fray.

The chaos ultimately led to all four players being ejected. Jaylen Brown, who was at home streaming, decided to react to the brawl after it became the talk of the town.

The Celtics star understood why Diabate lost his cool. In the heat of the moment, he said that when someone “mushes” or shoves another player’s face, it can make their blood boil. Brown even hinted that he might have reacted the same way if he were in Diabate’s position.

“If a dude takes his hand and mush your face like that… I ain’t gon lie, somebody gotta die,” Brown said, defining the mushing of one’s face as the ultimate disrespect.

The NBA, however, will not be inclined to find justification in the actions of Diabate or any of the other three involved. The players will likely be suspended, with Stewart, who ran the length of the court to join a fight he was not initially involved in, expected to face the harshest penalty.

Stewart, meanwhile, was unapologetic. “You don’t expect me to sit on the bench. The f**k I got drafted to Detroit for,” he was heard saying in the tunnel after getting ejected. Duren, on the other hand, seemed to realize that the situation got out of hand.

“At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard,” said Duren. But he also admitted that the Pistons have been targeted by rivals throughout the season.

“This isn’t the first time that people have tried to be like extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be,” added Duren.

Perhaps the reaction to Diabate was a byproduct of that feeling Duren is carrying: That teams are overtly aggressive toward the Pistons.

Post Edited By: Leslie Xavier
Charlotte Hornets Detroit Pistons Isiah Stewart Jalen Duren Jaylen Brown Miles Bridges Moussa Diabate

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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