NEW YORK, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- An NBA brawl at Madison Square Garden erupted in part because the New York Knicks were being shown up on their home court, guard Nate Robinson said.
"We're not going to just let guys keep dunking and keep dunking when they're up 20 and they got their starters in," he was quoted as saying in Sunday's New York Times.
All 10 players on the floor for the Knicks and the Denver Nuggets were ejected with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter when a fight broke out following a flagrant foul by New York rookie Mardy Collins on Denver's J.R. Smith.
Smith had just pulled off a dunk with the Nuggets leading by 19 points en route to a 123-100 victory.
Smith jumped up from the foul and confronted Collins, and Robinson and Smith then tackled each other, The Times said. Carmello Anthony then punched Collins in the face, escalating the fight.
The ejected Knicks were Robinson, Collins, Jared Jeffries, Channing Frye and David Lee. The ejected Nuggets were Anthony, Smith, Eduardo Najera, Marcus Camby and Andre Miller.
The brawl was the league's ugliest since Indiana Pacers players went into the stands to fight Detroit Pistons fans in 2004. Fines and suspensions are likely to follow.
