Brisbane Bullets centre Aron Baynes has received a five-game ban following physical confrontations with Cairns Taipans forward Lat Mayen and coach Adam Forde at half-time of their round-two NBL clash.
After a two-hour hearing on Thursday night, the one-man NBL tribunal found the 576-game NBA veteran guilty of excessive disputing, unsportsmanlike conduct and an abnormal or unacceptable act.
The NBL initially told journalists they could watch proceedings via video-link, before the one-man tribunal reneged this permission five minutes before the hearing began.
"The NBL supports the independence of both the Game Review Panel and Single Member Tribunal (SMT) and respects the decision of the SMT," a statement from the NBL read.
Mayen elbowed Baynes in the neck as the pair jostled for a rebound just before half-time of Saturday night's match at Nissan Arena in Brisbane.
Baynes needed to be held back by his teammates as he confronted the referees to appeal for a foul. He has received a one-match ban for this remonstration.
Both players received technical fouls for their roles in the incident, and appeared to address the fracas again as they left the court for half-time.
Baynes received an additional match suspension for bumping into Mayen during this confrontation.
After further review from the match officials, both players were ejected from the match before the third quarter began.
The final three matches of Baynes' ban were handed out following a physical confrontation with Forde during the half-time break.
The one-man tribunal reviewed audio and video from this incident before settling on Baynes' punishment.
Baynes will miss games against the Sydney Kings, Melbourne United, South East Melbourne, Perth Wildcats and Tasmania JackJumpers.
The Bullets are likely to appeal the ban.
Baynes had been in strong form to begin the season, so his absence looms as a significant blow to a Bullets side that appeared to be hitting its stride after four years missing the play-offs.
Tyrell Harrison is the likeliest man to replace Baynes at centre in the starting five, with NBL Next Star Rocco Zikarsky also available.
For his role in the episode, Mayen has already accepted a $1550 fine but will not miss any game time, while Forde has escaped sanction altogether.
Bullets senior basketball advisor Stu Lash received an official warning for calling Forde's behaviour "unprofessional and unbecoming of a head coach" in comments to the media.
