Target Center came alive after a brawl between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Pistons erupted in the second quarter. Ron Holland II's foul on Naz Reid was the spark that lit the fire. Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Stewart, and Marcus Sasser jumped into the mix, as did Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni and Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Minnesota was down 39-29 when the fight broke out, and ended up winning, 123-104. Reid, DiVincenzo, Prigioni, Holland, Stewart, Sasser, and Bickerstaff were ejected. The Pistons were already without Cade Cunningham and couldn't overcome losing three players and their head coach, while the Timberwolves rallied.
Rudy Gobert said the brawl gave Minnesota "a little burst of energy." He finished with 19 points and 25 rebounds. Julius Randle posted 26 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Anthony Edwards, who went into halftime with only five points, finished the game with 25.
Every game matters for the Timberwolves with the end of the regular season rapidly approaching. Minnesota is a half game back from the No. 6 Warriors, the spot the team wants to be in to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Edwards says he doesn't think Reid, DiVincenzo should be suspended
Losing DiVincenzo and Reid to a suspension for a couple of the Timberwolves' last seven games of the regular season wouldn't be ideal.
Suspensions definitely on the horizon for Pistons-Wolves with melee spilling into fans.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 30, 2025
The fight spread to the baseline, where a young Timberwolves fan wearing an Edwards jersey was caught in the mix. Alex Rodriguez checked on the fan to make sure he was okay and gave him a Naz Reid jersey. The kid's father told The Athletic (subscription required), "We're a hockey family. We were ready to get into the fight."
Alex Rodriguez gave this kid that was in the middle of the brawl a Naz Reid jersey 👏
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 31, 2025
(h/t @TrendingSportsP)pic.twitter.com/HWWsRHgmuK
Even though nobody was hurt, it's hard to envision the league letting the Timberwolves (and Pistons) players involved walk away with only a fine, which is what Edwards thinks should happen:
“I don’t think they should miss games for that,” Edwards said. “Maybe just some money.”
Minnesota's next game will be on Tuesday in Denver, which will be no easy task, even though the Timberwolves seem to have the Nuggets' number. Their depth stood out in their most recent win over Denver on March 12. DiVincenzo finished with 10 points (4-of-10), six rebounds, six assists, and one block in the win. Reid posted eight points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Being without DiVincenzo and Reid's contributions on Tuesday would be tough for Minnesota, but unfortunately, it seems like that's what'll happen. The Timberwolves could be without that duo for more than one game, too.
Wishful thinking, Ant!