Tim Brown and the Associated Press report: Bad blood simmering since the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Sacramento Kings from last season's Western Conference Finals boiled over Friday night when the Lakers' Rick Fox got into a fight on and off court with the Kings' Doug Christie.

Two minutes and seven seconds into Friday night's exhibition game at Staples Center, Rick Fox fought King guard Doug Christie twice, once on the floor and again in a tunnel leading to the Kings' locker room. The second drew most of the Kings from their bench, along with Laker center Shaquille O'Neal, though apparently no one was injured.

Christie and Fox are sure to be fined and suspended for at least opening night.

The altercation started when Fox accidently hit Christie with an elbow to the face. Fox was then called for an offensive foul and dropped the ball then Christie flipped it back into his face, then fox shoved him in the face and Christie then hit him with a left punch to the face.

After both players were ejected, Fox then darted from the Laker bench, through the tunnel, down a hallway that separates the locker rooms and to the mouth of the Kings' tunnel, where he met Christie coming off the floor.

According to witnesses, Fox put a headlock around Christie, who threw several more punches at Fox, some of which Fox returned. The two grappled there until they were engulfed by Kings rushing from their bench and arena security personnel, then fell into a black curtain.

"Crazy people. Stupid people. Seriously," King center Vlade Divac said. "Rick is the guy who did something. But Doug also crossed the line."

The Kings won the game 93-88.