Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells has launched a furious tirade against what he labelled the 'dangerous' and unacceptable conduct of two Brisbane Bullets imports following a chaotic on-court melee that resulted in a staggering seven ejections. The incident marred what should have been a celebratory evening for the ladder-leading 36ers, who secured their place in the NBL's in-season Ignite Cup final with a comprehensive 107-74 victory over the struggling Bullets on Wednesday night.
Wild Scuffle Erupts in Final Quarter
The flashpoint occurred late in the final quarter when Brisbane guard Hunter Maldonado became entangled with Adelaide's big man Nick Rakocevic, sparking an all-in confrontation that quickly escalated. The pair wrestled violently into empty courtside seats before Brisbane's Terry Taylor intervened, placing Rakocevic—who has already served one suspension this season—in a headlock. Wells, visibly emotional post-game, described a scene that he claimed crossed the line from competitive sport into outright danger.
'By the time I got down there, Terry Taylor had Nick in a headlock from behind and Maldonado was punching him in the stomach,' Wells asserted. 'That's not basketball. This is a hard-playing league, but that crossed the line. It concerned me; it rattled all of us. He's got a choke-hold, holding a guy by the neck. That is really dangerous. I was really scared for my player.'
Mass Ejections and Heated Aftermath
The immediate fallout saw Maldonado, Taylor, and Rakocevic all ejected from the contest. Furthermore, four Brisbane players—Tristan Devers, Taine Murray, Alex Ducas, and Sam McDaniel, the latter two being inactive injured players—were also marched from the building for entering the court from the bench area. This left the already injury-ravaged Bullets with just one player remaining on their bench, compounding their woes in a game where they were soundly defeated.
Adelaide sharp-shooter DJ Vasiljevic added fuel to the fire, branding the Bullets' actions as 'unprofessional' and suggesting they were 'throwing cheap shots' due to their dismal season performance. He called for the league to investigate the incident thoroughly.
Brisbane's Firm Rebuttal
Interim Brisbane coach Darryl McDonald offered a starkly different account, vehemently refuting Adelaide's allegations. 'I saw Rakocevic power drive Maldonado into the ground,' McDonald countered. 'Guys were protecting each other; nobody threw punches. Maldonado was trying to get away from the guy. Go to the tape, have a look.' This conflicting narrative sets the stage for a potential review by NBL officials as they assess the altercation and the conduct of all involved parties.
Victory Overshadowed by Controversy
Despite the late-game chaos, Adelaide's performance was dominant, punching their ticket to the Ignite Cup final scheduled for February 22nd against the New Zealand Breakers, with a share of $400,000 in prize money at stake. The 36ers won three of the four quarters, with a blistering 39-point final term blowing the game wide open after Brisbane had trailed by only six points at halftime.
On the individual front, Adelaide were led by new import John Jenkins with 19 points and the irrepressible Bryce Cotton, who contributed 22 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Isaac Humphries and Flynn Cameron both added 16 points in a well-rounded team effort. For Brisbane, Jacob Holt provided a silver lining with a career-high 24 points in another promising display, but it was little consolation in a 33-point loss—their 16th defeat in the last 17 games, following heavy losses of 32 and 38 points in their previous two outings.
The incident has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the NBL, raising serious questions about player safety and on-court discipline as the league approaches its showcase final later this month.
