Tempers flared early Monday night as the Detroit Pistons faced the Phoenix Suns in their NBA preseason opener at Little Caesars Arena.
Fight breaks out in first five minutes
With just over seven minutes left in the first quarter, Pistons forward John Collins and Suns forward Dillon Brooks got into a heated clash.
Collins grabbed an offensive rebound and tried to score. Brooks made hard contact and was called for a foul. Collins did not like the extra physical play.
He turned, faced Brooks and put his hand around the Suns player’s neck. Collins also shoved the basketball into Brooks’ face. Players from both teams rushed in to separate them before things got worse.
Officials review and hand out fouls
After a long video review, officials gave Collins a flagrant-1 foul. Brooks received a technical foul for his part in the confrontation. Lead official Karl Lane said Collins’ actions were unnecessary. Phoenix got free throws from the flagrant, while Detroit got one from the technical.
Brooks is known as a physical player who often pushes opponents to the edge. He led the league in technical fouls last season. Collins, in his first game as a Pistons starter after signing in the offseason, made a strong early statement.
Collins spoke after the game
Afterward Collins said he was not necessarily trying to set a tone but he was glad he did. “Just sometimes you have to play basketball and get physical. I’m going to go out there and compete every night,” he told reporters.
Pistons rally for the win
The Suns led big at halftime but Detroit came back. The Pistons won the game 109-107. The early fight gave fans a taste of the intensity both teams hope to bring into the regular season. Videos of the throat grab quickly spread online and sparked plenty of talk about the physical style of play.
