After getting over his left hip contusion, Cade Cunningham returned to the game after missing one game. But nobody thought his return would end with a massive brawl.
A scuffle broke out Friday night with about six minutes left in the Rockets–Pistons game. Houston was up 94–89 when Ron Holland and Jabari Smith Jr. exchanged heated words after Holland argued and Smith fired back.
Now, lip readers added more twists and turns to the already serious chaos, portraying Cunningham escalating the beef with aggressive trash talk.
Cade Cunningham loses it as Ron Holland and Jabari Smith Jr. square off
The viral clip that’s getting extensive attention shows bodies everywhere as players from both squads are flooding the baseline. With coaches and referees also rushing in, it became almost impossible to track what was happening at the initial point.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) passes the ball to forward Isaiah Stewart (28) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Cunningham initially stepped in as a peacemaker to calm things down, but he couldn’t hold him back for long. After Holland got pulled away by his teammates and coaches, Cunningham moved toward Smith, shouting as a referee stepped in to keep him from getting engaged.
Social media lip readers decoded whatever the Pistons’ guard said, penning, “Come here! Fight me! Fight me! Yeah, that’s right, back up, n***a!”
“Come here! Fight me! Fight me! Yeah that’s right, back up n***a!”
— Cade Cunningham 😳pic.twitter.com/H044Xz75of
— Playoff Sports (@PlayoffSports_) January 24, 2026
Kevin Durant scored 32 points to lead the Rockets and took control before the third quarter ended. The 111–104 win helped Houston rebound from an overtime loss to the Sixers the night before.
Cunningham had a genuinely rough night, finishing with just 12 points, but he was aggressive when things got heated against his team. Detroit’s four-game winning streak got snapped with this rough Friday night game.
