Rakocevic cops financial penalty, to miss Phoenix clash, teammate and coach fined

Adelaide 36ers centre Nick Rakocevic, forward Zylan Cheatham and assistant coach Kerry Williams have each accepted financial penalties resulting from an incident in Wednesday night’s game against Brisbane.

Rakocevic was charged with engaging in unsportsmanlike behaviour by the Game Review Panel (GRP) following the incident in the fourth quarter of the 33-point win over the Bullets.

Rakocevic was deemed to have committed a disqualifying foul on Brisbane’s Hunter Maldonado, and after an ensuing melee, five Bullets players including Maldonado were also expelled.

The GRP fined Rakocevic $775 for his involvement but with his early guilty plea he will instead be fined $585.

His plea means he will have to serve a one-game ban that had been suspended after a previous incident earlier this season, and won’t feature for the Sixers in Saturday’s clash with South East Melbourne.

Cheatham’s fine was also downgraded to $585 after accepting the charge of engaging in a melee while Williams received the same penalty for entering the court during the incident.

Rakocevic will be able to return for Thursday night’s clash with Illawarra at the WIN Entertainment Centre.