The New York Knicks may not have had any part in Monday's Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Hornets scuffle, but they could realistically end up as one of its biggest beneficiaries.
The Spectrum Center more so resembled a UFC octagon than an NBA court during this hotly contested bout, as benches cleared following an initial fisticuffs skirmish involving Jalen Duren and Moussa Diabate.
The one-on-one ultimately turned into an all-out brawl that led to the two, along with Detroit's Isaiah Stewart and Charlotte's Miles Bridges, being ejected.
In the aftermath of the fight, many are now discussing what disciplinary actions could be taken against each player. Some, such as former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins, believe Stewart, for example, could be slapped with a 20 to 25-game suspension.
Needless to say, every player directly involved in escalating the altercation will receive some sort of league-induced punishment, which, ultimately, will be negatively felt by their respective teams.
In an ironic twist, these repercussions could have a positive impact on the Knicks during this second-half stretch of the season, as they could halt Detroit's momentum and, in turn, open the door for New York to take command of the still-attainable number one seed.
Knicks must take full advantage while Pistons are missing key players
Let's not forget that this is the same Knicks team that, just last postseason, eliminated the Pistons in six games during the conference quarterfinals.
Yes, Detroit has certainly played well here in 2025-26, as they boast the second-best record in the league at 39-13 and rank second in point differential, but they are largely the same squad, equipped with roughly the same talent pool they had last year.
Now, of course, both matchups between the Knicks and Pistons this year have ended in blowout losses for the former, with an average point differential clocking in at -34.5.
However, both came while New York was dealing with extenuating circumstances, as their January 5 matchup was amid a lowly four-game losing streak, where they were without their heart and soul, Josh Hart, while their February 6 outing was their fourth game in six nights, which was played in three different cities, and had Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby all sit out.
Should recent assumptions prove to be correct about the upcoming suspensions to guys like Stewart and their All-Star pivot in Duren, not only should the Knicks have an easier time notching their first win against a sub full-strengh Detroit team this season during their upcoming February 19 face-off, but, depending on how long both are shelved, also usurping them as top dogs in the East.
Only 5.5 games behind and with 29 remaining on the regular season docket, with a little help from the fallout from Monday's brawl, New York's path to claiming the number one seed could become a whole lot clearer moving forward.