Better action than the NBA? We think so.
The NBL decided to call its preseason tournament the “Ignite Cup,” and on Wednesday night the Gold Coast found out why.
While the Adelaide 36ers were busy turning the Brisbane Bullets into a grease spot on the floor with a 107-74 blowout, the actual basketball became secondary with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter when a wild brawl broke out.
What started as a routine box-out between Adelaide’s 6-foot-11 big man Nick Rakocevic and Brisbane’s Hunter Maldonado quickly escalated into a tussle fit for the Octagon.
Brisbane’s Terry Taylor rushed in as Rakocevic and Maldonado tangled on the floor, wrapping Rakocevic up in a headlock as players from both teams poured in.
“This is absolutely on. It’s a clear-the-benches brawl,” ESPN’s Joel Peterson shouted on the broadcast. “Where has this come from? Talk about igniting the fuse.”
The fuse was lit, indeed.
Order was restored, but not before officials went to the replay monitor for several minutes to sort through the chaos.
When the dust settled, seven people were ejected. The list included Rakocevic, Maldonado, and Taylor, along with Brisbane’s Taine Murray and Tristan Devers, for leaving the bench during the altercation.
Sam McDaniel and Alex Ducas were also ejected, despite both players being injured and sitting on the bench in street clothes.
Zylan Cheatham of the 36ers competes for the ball during the round 19 NBL match between Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on January 28, 2026, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Adelaide coach Mike Wells made clear afterward that he believed the incident went well beyond normal basketball scuffling.
“I do not know why anything gets to a point where you are holding a guy by the neck,” Wells said. “That is really dangerous. That crossed the line.”
Adelaide moves on to the Ignite Cup final. Brisbane heads to the film room. And the NBL league office will have a ball doling out suspensions and other disciplinary measures.
And honestly, if you tuned into this instead of another sleepy NBA Wednesday night featuring load management, soft defense, and players counting down to the weekend, you probably made the right choice.
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