Basketball: Lightning hit by dispute

Adelaide Lightning coach Chris Lucas has been sacked and his assistant coaches have walked out after a dispute with the Australian National Basketball League club's team owner Vince Marino.

Lucas said yesterday the dispute centred on Marino's desire to have his daughter, Angela Marino, a New Zealand representative, included in the starting line-up for this weekend's game.

But Marino said Lucas' management style was the issue. The Lightning are in their second season of private ownership after Basketball SA decided to sell off the men's and women's national league teams.