An unpleasant incident occurred in the dying seconds of the Philadelphia 76ers-Utah Jazz game Monday night in Philadelphia, as a Sixers fan was involved in a verbal tussle with Donovan Mitchell.

The commotion led to the removal of the spectator from the arena — a first in the 2019-20 NBA regular season. Asked by reporters after the game on what was said during the heated exchange, Mitchell did not want to repeat the unpleasant things the man said, claiming the fan was clearly intoxicated at the time.

After several incidents of fans and player altercations last season, the NBA has implemented a zero tolerance approach to hecklers who cross the line with taunts directed to opposing players such as Donovan Mitchell in this case. Several prominent NBA stars have also taken a stand against verbal abuse from fans, claiming they were vulnerable during those types of situations.

Just last season, a rowdy Utah Jazz fan got banned for life at the Chesapeake Energy Arena after hurling racial insults to Russell Westbrook. The eight-time All-Star received flak for how he handled the situation, as he threatened to physically assault the fan and his wife.

The Jazz, meanwhile, went on to lose their game, 94-103, their sixth defeat in the last 10 games. Mitchell finished with 18 points, two rebounds, and one assist, but struggled shooting from the field going 6-for-19 and missing five of his six tries from three-point territory.

The third-year guard is averaging 24.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals for the Jazz, who currently sit at the fifth spot in the Western Conference with a 12-9 win-loss slate.