Video: There was a bit of a schemozzle in the NBA last night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lIbnTIwKhw

By GAA standards, this was harmless but by basketball standards, it was the fight of the year.

At the NBA level, basketball is a very physical game but the players – usually – manage to keep a lid on their emotions.

Every now and then one does lose it, like Ron Artest (Metta World Peace these days) did in the infamous ‘Malice in the Palace’ brawl in 2004, but they are very rare.

That is why America is getting its knickers in a bunch over what happened last night between the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors.

Late in the fourth quarter, and with Indiana leading by 10, Pacers big man Roy Hibbert and the Warriors Davis Lee got into a little shoving match. In the words of the great Ron Burgandy, it escalated quickly.

As you will see, no punches were really thrown and the best bit was the attempt by the Warriors Steph Curry to calm the situation down. Twice he gets shoved out of the way like a rag doll by the much bigger Hibbert.

Hibbert was ejected from the game and host of players got technicals. We wait to see if the NBA decide to take further action as the ‘fight’ spread into the stands.

And just so you can compare, here’s the best bits of the ‘Malice in the Palace’ fight. That was a real schemozzle.

Wait until the 1.50 mark when it spills into the crowd.