With 6:10 to play in the fourth quarter in Indiana, Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and Golden State’s David Lee got into a shoving match on Tuesday that escalated into a melee that spilled into the crowd.
After Indiana’s David West drew a foul, Lee pushed Hibbert and Hibbert pushed Lee back. The situation quickly escalated. Golden State’s Steph Curry tried to break up the fracas and Hibbert pushed Curry to the ground. Curry got up and shoved Hibbert and the fight between players from both teams spilled into the front rows.
The scene immediately brought back memories of the infamous fight between the Pistons and the Pacers in Detroit in 2004 when Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson, both of whom played for Indiana then, actually went into the stands to fight Detroit fans.
Tuesday’s incident did not get to that level, but the NBA has had a zero tolerance policy after the 2004 fight that marred the league and its brand.
Hibbert was the only player who was ejected, but the NBA will most likely level more disciplinary action in the days ahead. Indiana eventually won the game 108-97.
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