'Crossed line': Bullets 'unprofessional' as SEVEN player ejected

• Seven players ejected after fourth-quarter melee under Brisbane basket
• Vasiljevic accused Bullets of cheap shots and unprofessional conduct
• Mike Wells said headlock and punches crossed basketball’s line‍
• Montrezl Harrell declares 'I Got You' to Brisbane Bullets

Adelaide 36ers captain Dejan Vasiljevic has accused the Brisbane Bullets of being "unprofessional" because they are going to "finish last" after seven players were ejected with three minutes to go in the NBL26 Ignite Cup 107-74 blow-out on the Gold Coast on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

36ers big Nick Rakocevic and Bullets' Hunter Maldonado and Terry Taylor were ejected as part of the melee along with Brisbane's Sam McDaniel, Taine Murray and Alex Ducas for coming off the bench.

"As soon as I saw Nick go down, I was trying to get him up, but you cannot when someone has you in a headlock on your back," Vasiljevic said.

"That is not professional and it is not basketball.

"It just shows that the Brisbane Bullets want to throw some cheap shots at us because they are going to finish last. That is not professional, and hopefully the league looks into it."

The NBL is: “An on-court incident involving multiple players occurred during tonight’s Ignite Cup game between the Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers, with 3:02 remaining in the fourth quarter The incident has been referred to the NBL’s Game Review Panel for consideration in accordance with the NBL Tribunal Rules. Relevant parties will be notified of the next steps in the process. No further comment will be made by the NBL while the matter is under review."

Rakocevic and Maldonado got tangled up in the block in the last quarter and Rakocevic shoved Maldonado into the front row on the baseline, landing on top of the American import with what appeared to be an elbow on the follow through. Taylor rushed in and had Rakocevic around the neck as players from both sides swarmed the skirmish, including Bryce Cotton, Vasiljevic and Norton. 36ers head coach Mike Wells arrived soon after, trying to break it up.

"Obviously, we want to compete," Wells said.

"To me, there is always a line in sports, and you do not cross that line. There was a takedown between two players and then everybody started jumping in. By the time I got down there, Terry Taylor had Nick in a headlock on his back and Maldonado was punching him in the stomach. That is what I saw.

"Everybody else who jumped in was grabbing my players, while Maldonado was still punching Nick in the stomach. To me, that is not basketball.

"We can play, we can compete, we can get after it, and this is a hard-playing league, but people do not cross the line. That crossed the line."

Bullets captain Mitch Norton disputed Wells' claims Maldonado punched Rakocevic.

"I didn’t see Hunter throw a punch," Norton said.

"I continue to ask for clarity as to why TD got thrown out, who was at the back of the pack not doing a thing, when there were a lot of other players who were pretty heavily involved that didn’t get sent.

"I don’t understand that one. As for TT, he was sticking up for a teammate. All the other comments about cheap shots and all that stuff, I don’t really buy it."

Brisbane interim head coach Darryl McDonald also disputed Maldonado threw punches.

"It was an offensive rebound and I just saw a really forceful power drive," McDonald said.

"After that, I didn’t see a lot. But yeah, it’s us, it’s our team, guys protecting each other. I don’t think anybody threw punches. Like you said, 'Hunter threw a punch' – Hunter didn’t throw any punches. He was trying to get away from the guy because the guy was landing on him.

"Again, it’s tough, man. When you have teammates, you want to protect your teammates, and that’s all we were trying to do."

Wells turned the heat up, suggesting the melee reminded him of then Houston Rockets player and later NBA championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich getting his jaw broken trying to break up a fight against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1997.

"It rattled all of us, to be honest," Wells said.

"Two guys getting tangled up is basketball and it happens. I do not know how it suddenly becomes Terry Taylor on his back with a chokehold from behind.

"I do not know why anything gets to a point where you are holding a guy by the neck and holding his arms down. That is really dangerous.

"I worked for Rudy Tomjanovich with the Houston Rockets, and there was an incident on the court back in the 70s with the Lakers. That makes it more personal to me.

"When people start choke-holding and holding arms, that is something completely different.

"(NBL punishments) is out of my hands. I am just concerned about my player. We have five games left and we are talking about finals. We have a lot more basketball to play. This was a really unfortunate situation, but I was scared for my player.

"When I got down there, I screamed at Terry. I know him a little bit. It was almost like a parent saying, 'What are you doing?'

"This is not what we do in basketball. We should be breaking it up and separating people. Cooler heads should prevail. We should not be having chokeholds.

"I do not know what was going on with Maldonado in that situation, but he was not stopping. That is why everybody else jumped in, because he kept going.

"I am fired up and concerned that it did not stop earlier.

"The Brisbane Bullets should be taking their guy, we should be grabbing our guy, and we should be separating the situation.

"The referees have to do whatever they need to do to de-escalate immediately. That is part of their job until coaches get there. We also have to hold people on the bench back, because that is when things really get out of control.

"It was on the baseline, with fans nearby. There was a lot going on."

McDonald defended Taylor, who he said was was trying to protect his teammate.

"Again, I don’t think he was out of control," D-Mac said.

"I think he was trying to protect his teammate. I think you go to the tape and have a look at the tape and you can see what’s going on.

"With basketball, your teammates matter and you protect your teammates.

"I don’t know whether they saw Rakocevic land on Hunter, because he literally pushed him and then power-drove him.

"Nobody saw that, that’s all I’m saying. Go to the tape and you’ll see what I’m talking about."

Key Details

• Result: Adelaide 36ers 107 def. Brisbane Bullets 74
• When: 28th of January 2026
• Where: Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre, Queensland
• Attendance: 2,441
• Standings

Key Performers

• Adelaide: Bryce Cotton — 22 pts, 7 ast, +32 │ Isaac Humphries — 16 pts, 5 reb │ John Jenkins — 19 pts (5 threes)
• Brisbane: Jacob Holt — 24 pts │ Mitch Norton — 11 pts, 6 ast

Team Stats Snapshot

• Adelaide: FG 39/58 (67.2%) │ 3PT 11/26 (42.3%) │ FT 18/19 (94.7%) │ AST 25 │ TO 16
• Brisbane: FG 26/69 (37.7%) │ 3PT 6/33 (18.2%) │ FT 16/20 (80.0%) │ AST 17 │ TO 10

What Happened

Adelaide wasted no time asserting their authority, opening with a stellar 33-point first quarter to Brisbane’s 24. The 36ers’ offensive ability was on full display as they moved the ball efficiently and found high-percentage looks, setting the tone for a dominant night. The Bullets responded in the second quarter, outscoring Adelaide 22-19, buoyed by Jacob Holt’s explosive start—securing 17 points by half-time. Despite Brisbane’s hustle, including seven offensive boards to Adelaide’s one in the first half, the 36ers took a 52-46 lead into the main break.

The third quarter saw Adelaide clamp down defensively, limiting Brisbane to just nine points while methodically extending their advantage. The 36ers’ ability to control the paint and lock in on defence forced the Bullets into tough shots and turnovers, culminating in a 16-9 third-period edge. Adelaide’s momentum rolled into the fourth quarter, where they erupted for 39 points, closing the game in emphatic fashion.

A heated moment erupted with just over three minutes remaining as a scuffle under the basket led to seven players being ejected. Nick Rakocevic and Hunter Maldonado were at the centre of the melee, with both receiving disqualifying fouls, alongside Bullets’ Terry Taylor and several bench players. Despite the chaos, Adelaide’s focus never wavered, as they poured in 18 points to Brisbane’s nine after the dust settled.

Bryce Cotton, though contained for stretches by Mitch Norton’s impressive defensive effort, still delivered an efficient and impactful performance—netting 22 points, dishing seven dimes, and grabbing five boards. John Jenkins was electric from outside, hitting five-from-nine from deep, while Isaac Humphries anchored the defence with four swats and contributed across the board. Jacob Holt was a lone bright spot for the Bullets, finishing with 24 points on a superb 9-from-13 shooting, including a perfect six-from-six at the charity stripe.

Adelaide’s offensive efficiency was outstanding, shooting 67% from the field (39-from-58) and a near-perfect 18-from-19 from the foul line. Their 25 assists showcased a full team effort, with balanced scoring across the starting unit. Defensively, the 36ers controlled the boards and protected the rim, while limiting their turnovers and capitalising on Brisbane’s mistakes. The Bullets, meanwhile, struggled to generate consistent offence outside of Holt’s contributions and were unable to recover after the third-quarter drought.

With this win, Adelaide locked in a place in the Ignite Cup Final and solidified their position atop the NBL ladder. Brisbane, meanwhile, will need to regroup after a disappointing night marked by late drama and offensive struggles.