NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony was ejected along from the Madison Square Garden with nine other players after an ugly incident ruined the end of the Denver Nuggets' 123-100 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday.

All ten players on the floor were expelled from the game after a fight started following a flagrant foul by New York's Mardy Collins on Denver's J.R. Smith.

Smith, who had just performed what the Knicks felt was a show-boat dunk perhaps leading to Collins pulling him down hard, jumped up from the foul and confronted Collins verbally.

New York's Nate Robinson stepped in and was shoved from behind by Anthony. Robinson and Smith then fell into the crowd, scrapping. Things seemed to be calming down when Anthony connected with a right-hand punch to Collins's face. New York's Jared Jeffries chased Anthony to the other end of the court, but was held back from the Denver player.

The NBA office, located near Madison Square Garden, refused to comment, saying the incident was under review. Fines and suspensions are certain to follow with the shadow of an incident between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in 2004 still hovering over the league.

"I feel bad for the league, I feel bad for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks," Denver coach George Karl told reporters. "It was a very poor display of respecting basketball and respecting the game in the best place in the world to play basketball."

Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said: "Clearly this isn't the way we or the NBA want to be perceived."

Thomas met with Anthony at centre court and said later he told the player he and other Denver starters should not have even been in the game with the Nuggets ahead by 19 in the last two minutes.

Smith was yelling as he was escorted back to the locker room, sporting a red mark along the left side of his cheek.

(China Daily December 18, 2006)