Fans go berserk as Killian Hayes and Moe Wagner come to blows
The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons matchup saw an altercation between Killian Hayes and Moe Wagner take hold of the game. With the matter taking a drastic turn, the incident has become a hot topic among fans and pundits across the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons have always had the identity of a rather chippy team. Given the angst and frustration in Motor City, the Pistons have often been the embodiment of the city's aggressive mentality.
While this has had positive implications, as seen with the championship teams of the 80s and the early 2000s, the Pistons have also developed a bad reputation from it.
Noteworthy incidents such as the Malice in the Palace have tainted Detroit's reputation in the past. In this regard, the current lot of players may also see such a situation take hold. Following the Isaiah Stewart-LeBron James altercation last season, the Pistons saw guard Killian Hayes take some violent action.
In Wednesday night's game against the Orlando Magic, Hayes and Magic forward Moe Wagner entered an altercation that resulted in rather drastic consequences.
@BallySportsFLMalice at Little Caesars Arena 😳
Magic and Pistons rough up each other after Moe Wagner shoved Killian Hayes.
🎥 @BallySportsFL
https://t.co/77sx09pDSo
After a dirty shove by Wagner to stop Killian Hayes from chasing down a loose ball, the Pistons guard responded by throwing his forearm into the back of Wagner's head.
The act saw an immediate response from the Magic players as they rushed to their teammate's aid. Tempers flared as both teams got involved in the melee.
Little Caeser's Arena erupted as the aggressive exchange took over the game. With fans watching the game live, some also sent in their reactions to the altercation on Twitter.
Here are some of the best reactions:
@TheAthletic @BallySportsFL https://t.co/SPjPcv8eGe
@TheAthletic @BallySportsFL Hayes gotta get 8-12 just for the punch totally uncalled for
@TheAthletic @BallySportsFL Detroit finna be Detroit
@TheAthletic @BallySportsFL This was a hate crime. Lock him up !!
@TheAthletic @BallySportsFL Dirty play by Wagner but hayes needs a heavy suspension for punching someone in the back of the head #smalldickenergy
@ComplexSports Back of the head shots are extremely dangerous
@ComplexSports Something in the water in Detroit bruh
@ComplexSports I know it’s the heat of the moment but those hits to the back of the head are dangerous.
@ComplexSports That punch is going to cost him the rest of his season smh
@ComplexSports Isaiah Stewart once he saw Moe go down https://t.co/JR8W0ndQsZ
@ComplexSports Detroitttt basketballl let’s gooooo
David Stern when he sees Kilian Hayes after he KO’d Mo Wagner https://t.co/tK05aRjndx
“DO NOT MOVE. STAY IN YOUR SEATS.” https://t.co/DaAiwlDZm6
@WorldWideWob Malice in the Palace 2.0
@WorldWideWob Malice in the Pizza Palace
@WorldWideWob “The moment you move you are going to jail” 😂😂 Goat PA announcer
@WorldWideWob The PA announcer: https://t.co/O58Iybcl4c
With several members from both teams getting involved in the fight, officials were forced to hand out ejections to calm the situation. Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo and Moe Wagner were all ejected from the game following the incident.
The Pistons find themselves in a difficult position as a franchise as another conflict stains the team's reputation. While such actions in the heat of the moment deserve some leeway, Hayes may be in for some harsher penalties.
The Detroit Pistons managed to secure a win without Killian Hayes
The altercation between Killian Hayes and Moe Wagner resulted in ejections for both players, along with Hamidou Diallo, who was also involved in the melee. While the Detroit Pistons were missing a key element of theirs, the team managed to come away with a win.
The fight between Hayes and Wagner occurred a minute before the end of the first half. While the situation looked bad for the Pistons, they established a sizeable lead against the Orlando Magic.
While Detroit had a harder time keeping things in check in the third quarter, the team retained it for the rest of the game. With solid team contributions in the fourth quarter, the Pistons emerged victorious with a 121-101 scoreline.
The major contributors for the Pistons on Wednesday night were Alec Burks, who had 32 points, and Sadiq Bey, who notched 28 points. Bojan Bogdanovic also contributed to the winning effort with 14 points of his own.
With a win in the books, the Pistons have improved to 9-28 on the season. However, with Cade Cunningham out of the rotation for the rest of the season, they are far from being competitive in the East.