Players brawl with Americans
A Chinese provincial basketball team brawled with a US team during a demonstration game on Friday night in Jiashan county, Zhejiang, mainland media reported.
The brawl started in the second half of the exhibition game between the professional Zhejiang Lions and the minor-league New Orleans Hurricanes after a Chinese player was tripped by his US rival, according to a report carried by Sina.com.
The tripping provoked scuffles between the two teams and later escalated into a mass brawl, with some spectators throwing water bottles and other items on to the court, the website said.
Video footage posted on the internet by an audience member shows a Hurricane player flinging at least one chair into the grandstand, where many fans were still seated.
The game continued after intervention by coaches from both sides. The Hurricanes beat the Lions 93-84, Sina.com said.
Zheijang Lions management said yesterday that it would warn and punish some players who were at fault during the row. All Zhejiang players were required to attend a self-criticism session about the brawl.
It is unclear whether the New Orleans team will take any disciplinary action against the players.
