NBL stars nearly come to blows after insane finals game-winning buzzer beater
Updated . First published at
A Bryce Cotton buzzer beater has tied the NBL Finals at 1-1, with the six-time league MVP sprinting full court to finish a layup as time expired in the 91-89 win.
The incredible effort saw the 36ers guard celebrate with the ESPN commentators in the aftermath, dapping up Australian basketball great Andrew Gaze, something Sydney star Kendric Davis immediately took issue with.
Davis, who missed a layup with 5.7 seconds left in the game, leading to the Cotton bucket, was incredibly heated, putting up three fingers and screaming in his rival's face.
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Kendric Davis gets in Bryce Cotton's face after the game. ESPN
Kings player Shaun Bruce had to step in and separate the two stars as a fight nearly broke out between them.
"Now it starts to get really serious between Kendric Davis and Bryce Cotton," exclaimed ESPN commentator Jack Heverin, as the pair went at it right in front of their desk.
Gaze added: "Wow. That escalated quick."
"You don't have to oversell this one. That was meaningful and real."
Cotton was furious after the pair were split up, clearly infuriated at what his match-winning buzzer beater celebration became.
Kings co-owner and Aussie basketball great Andrew Bogut stepped in and tried to calm Davis down.
After a bit of coercing, both teams still lined up and shook hands, though Davis refused and walked off the court.
The pair have a lot of history, with Davis accusing the NBL of rigging the MVP award for Cotton this season.
He has finished second to Cotton in consecutive seasons, this time by only two votes.
In the aftermath, he took to Instagram Live and aired his frustrations.
"All I know is you put my stats up against his stats and take our faces off, and tell the NBA to vote on who should win MVP, I guarantee I come out on top. Guarantee, but not a go," Davis said.
Davis and Cotton go at it. ESPN
"I don't really even care. I'm just speaking on it because if it ain't spoke on, they gonna sweep it under the rug. So, you gotta speak on it.
"Don't tell me about 'rook' no more. 'Rook' is fake. Man, two straight. They didn't want me to win it from the get go. They didn't want me to win MVP from the get go. Trust me.
"Why do you think at the beginning of the year all they did was post, the NBL post said I'm a bad teammate and all this and that."
Davis top scored for the Kings in game two with 20 points, while Xavier Cooks scored 18 and Torrey Craig 17.
Cotton meanwhile put up 28 for the 36ers. Flynn Cameron scored 17 and John Jenkins 14.
The pair will now meet for game three of the finals on Sunday in Sydney.
The Kings won game one of the series in a 112-68 thrashing. Adelaide's win in game two shows there's still life in the series yet.
