The situation got spicy in the final seconds of the battle between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.
With the Indiana Pacers just waiting for the last buzzer to claim their 111-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons, both teams engaged in late-game trash talk.
Burning the clock with 34.9 seconds to go, Pascal Siakam was seen jawing with Tim Hardaway Jr., prompting Pistons star Cade Cunningham to approach him as well as Tyrese Haliburton.
As the shot clock expired, Siakam carried on talking as the Pistons dribbled the ball out for the final possession, seemingly arguing about the unspoken rule on whether to take a shot or not for the last moments of an already decided ball game.
The Pistons forward then drew the attention of Jalen Duren, and both players went at it for a heated trade of words.
Myles Turner hopped in and was followed by Cunningham, instantly forcing players and staffers of both teams to check what was happening. Isaiah Stewart entered the scene and pointed at Turner as the two big men had to be separated initially until they eventually walked away.
There were no punches thrown, but the intensity was evident and off the charts for the Pacers and the Pistons as conversations have gone extensive through that point.
The Pacers and the Pistons trace a well-known feud from the past.
The conflict between these two Central Division clubs saw its peak during the early to mid 2000s. During that time, the Pacers led by Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, and Reggie Miller have frequently met the gritty Pistons group of Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace in matchups of two of the league’s grittiest, elite teams.
Their low-scoring, highly physical slugfests were a prime time hoops contest to watch during that era. And no one can easily forget the controversial moment which fully defined their rivalry: the Malice at the Palace in the 2004-05 season.
Thursday night’s confrontation between the Pacers and the Pistons have ignited fans and social media in what could be a renewed NBA rivalry for both teams.
But Turner simply dismissed any bad blood as it was just an impassioned meeting of two rising young squads.
“It wasn’t no malice or any thing crazy like that,” he said, seemingly referencing the infamous brawl 20 years ago.
“It was just competitive talk. It’s a team that’s on the rise, a team that we’re gonna see in the future. It was just good spirited stuff, man.
“I think that’s the beauty of this game. You go out there and compete and you talk a little bit and you go out and back it up too.”
With the victory, the Pacers take a 2-1 edge over the Pistons in their four-game regular season series this 2024-25. Both teams will still meet for the final time on Jan. 29 in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
What comes next is anyone’s guess. But for Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, he is all in to extend this affair and revive that old rivalry with Indiana.
“I hope so. When we were kicking their ass at their place, it wasn’t the same,” Bickerstaff said. “If that’s the way it’s going to be, let’s make it that way.”
And upon this statement, his Pistons team couldn’t be more motivated to settle the score.
“We can’t wait to see that team again,” Stewart said.
“We look forward to playing them again and handle that business next time.”
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