The NBA Summer League game between the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings was marred by an ugly incident which saw a player throw a 'sucker punch' at a rookie.
Kings forward Chimezie Metu was driving to the basket for a highlight reel dunk attempt when he was upended by Dallas newbie Eugene Omoruyi.
The mid-air block sent Metu flying into the air and he eventually landed on the court with huge force.
Advert
But before Omoruyi could even think to apologise, he was confronted by a fuming Metu who clearly took exception to the contact.
Overcome with anger, Metu charged at his rival player and clocked him with a swinging right hook.
The blow initially knocked Omoruyi off his feet a bit as he stumbled away from the scene, but it wasn't long until he attempted to confront his attacker himself but was eventually stopped in his tracks by referees and teammates.
Granted, the hard foul is illegal in the eyes of referees, but it certainly doesn't warrant the reaction it got.
Advert
Both players were automatically ejected from the game, Metu for the punch and Omoruyi after being handed a flagrant 2.
24-year-old Metu has now been suspended by the NBA for his actions, meaning he will miss the Kings' summer league championship game against the Boston Celtics.
For Omoruyi, it was just his fourth game in an NBA uniform after signing for the Mavericks as an undrafted free agent.
Metu, on the other hand, is a four-year veteran having appeared in 83 NBA games for both the San Antonio Spurs and Kings.
Advert
The Kings went on to win the game 86-70.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/ESPNTopics: Basketball, NBA, Australia
