NBA Heads To Paris And A Fight Breaks Out Between Cavs, Nets

Soft call or a hard foul? The NBA stopped by France on Thursday as the league hosted a matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets at Accor Arena in Paris.

Even PSG soccer star Kylian Mbappe made a courtside appearance.

Players didn't hold back during the special contest, with one Cleveland Cavalier earning an ejection in the fourth quarter after starting an on-court brawl.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson had a dispute going with Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton in the fourth quarter. The two verbally went at each other early in the fourth quarter. And after Nic Claxton threw down an emphatic dunk, followed by a taunt in Thompson's direction, the Cavs player turned up the heat, forcefully bumped into Claxton and set off a bench-clearing spat that resulted in his ejection.

The Parisian fans got their money's worth on Thursday.

Thompson received a Flagrant 2 foul for the incident, though Claxton certainly sold taking the hit.

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Cleveland pulled away with the victory, 111-102, courtesy of a 45-point performance from Cavs star Donovan Mitchell.

Now, if you're wondering why the NBA made an appearance in Paris on Thursday, the contest was part of the "NBA Global Games" initiative, made to host games internationally to drive up the league's worldwide appeal. Last season, the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons met in Paris to play a contest.

Accor Arena also happens to be the venue where basketball events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held. 

Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the second quarter. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

Tristan Thompson smiles during warmups. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)