Tensions boiled over at John Cain Arena as multiple player and fan ejections marred Sunday afternoon's matchup between Melbourne United and the Adelaide 36ers.
The 36ers' Montrezl Harrell and United's Shea Ili were issued double disqualifying fouls early in the fourth quarter, with both players ejected following a scuffle.
Harrell was called for a charge on Rob Loe, with both bigs ending up on the ground. While on the floor, Harrell pushed Loe, leading to a melee that involved all players on the floor. Ili was first to enter the scuffle and push Harrell, before the 36ers big-man appeared to throw multiple open-hand strikes toward United players.
"Any time there's punches thrown and things like that, the league's gonna deal with it the right way." United head coach Dean Vickerman said.
"I thought we supported each other through that period... I haven't really watched it back too much. It's only what my eyes saw at the time. We take a charge, there's a push that escalates to a little bit more. Once everybody got in there... the league will deal with punches, if they've connected, and what happens with that one.
"I didn't think we did anything to super escalate the situation. The intention, once it got heated, was to diffuse it as soon as we could."
Immediately following the incident, the 36ers were involved in an altercation with several courtside fans in front of their bench.
36ers point guard Kendric Davis and the team's General Manager of Basketball, Matt Weston, were allegedly pushed by a fan, sources told ESPN. That led to more verbal and physical exchanges with the fans, with Dejan Vasiljevic appearing to be pushed by a spectator.
"When I came back [from the initial scuffle], we've got fans screaming at players," 36ers head coach Mike Wells said postgame. "All mayhem's breaking loose on the sidelines.
"The fans were screaming at our players, and being really, really aggressive with the players. I've been in the NBA a long time, I've seen a lot of different fights. When people are right in the front row, they cannot do that. They can pay their money, they can cheer, they can yell at us; but, as soon as they start putting hands on people, now it's a different game. From what I saw, they put hands on our GM."
The scuffle had to be broken up by United staffers.
Four spectators were ejected from the game, sources said.
"It's something you never wanna see," Vickerman said of the incident involving the spectators.
"Fans are there to view the game and to support the game. You never wanna see a crossover between players and fans. You wanna see it in the part of engagement and stuff like that. Obviously we've crossed a line in the game there, where they've reacted to whatever's been said. It's something that we don't wanna see."
The NBL is invesitgating both incidents, a league spokesperson told ESPN.
United would go on to win the game 113-93.