The senior national teams from Italy and Canada participated in a “friendly” game Saturday night that ended in a brawl between the two teams (discuss)

Physical play between Italy’s Stefano Mancinelli and Canada’s Aaron Doornekamp at the end of the game prompted the fight between the two teams. After being pushed, Mancinelli delivers an elbow to the back of the Doornekamp’s head.

Italy goes on to defeat Canada 81-75, led by Marco Belinelli‘s 22 points. Team Canada was paced by Jesse Young’s 27 points.

Belinelli and Andrea Bargnani will suit up for the Toronto Raptors, Canada’s only NBA franchise, next season and are seen in the video trying to diffuse the situation between the two teams.

Italian team captain Matteo Soragna apologized on the Italy’s behalf after the game, “I am sorry that it happened. The team has responded as one and that is a positive, although we did not want the incident to happen.”

This was the second match between the two teams. Italy had defeated Canada 91-69 last week in the Trentino Cup and played each other again in preparation for upcoming tournament games..

On August 5th, Italy will face France on their quest to qualify for the Eurobasket tournament. While Canada is preparing for the Tournament of the Americas that begins on August 26, 2009.

This is the second fight in as many weeks that has occured in a “friendly” game. A brawl between Iran and Jordan erupted during the William Jones Cup last month that eventually cost Jordan the Cup championship.