Bullets hit back at 36ers’ claims

Less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s fiery clash between Brisbane and Adelaide, the fallout has continued.

During Adelaide’s 33-point Ignite Cup win over Brisbane on the Gold Coast, seven players were ejected for an on-court incident, which has subsequently been referred straight to the NBL’s Game Review Panel.

The two sides then traded barbs in the post-game press conferences, with Adelaide’s Mike Wells and Dejan Vasiljevic, and Brisbane’s Darryl McDonald and Mitch Norton, all making comments on the incident.

Since then, 36ers big man Nick Rakocevic, who is one of the seven players who were ejected on Wednesday, took to social media to offer his account of the incident, saying ‘he tried to do everything I could to get out of that situation’.

Now Brisbane Bullets CEO Malcolm Watts has released a statement, hitting back at the 36ers’ comments.

“On behalf of the Brisbane Bullets, I would like to acknowledge the incident that occurred during last night's game involving the Adelaide 36ers,” Watts said.

“Emotions can run high in competitive environments, and we recognise that post-game commentary is often delivered in the immediate aftermath of intense moments.

“However, several comments directed at our players and organisation in the post-match press conference were disappointing.

“We have great respect for the Adelaide 36ers organisation and continue to have a strong working relationship off the court.

“The available footage provides clarity around the sequence of events. We are comfortable that it will assist the league in its review, and we will be respectful and supportive of the process undertaken.

“Lastly, the manner in which Darryl McDonald and Mitch Norton conducted themselves in the post-match press conference strongly reflects the character of our club, and I commend both for their composure, clarity and professionalism.”

Brisbane next plays Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena on Friday, February 8 from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.