NBA basketbrawl
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – An all-out brawl erupted near the end of the Indiana Pacers victory over Detroit on Friday night, one that will result in long-terms suspensions and possible arrests for some of the Pacers.
Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson rushed into the stands to confront fans who were drenching the Pacers with beverages with 45.9 seconds left in their 97-82 victory over the Pistons.
Artest did not appear to land punches, but Jackson did. Jermaine O’Neal later struck a fan after he was hit in the head by a chair, as chaos reigned at the Palace.
Artest later punched a fan on the court who rushed at him and tried to land a blow.
Fred Jones, Eddie Gill and David Harrison were among the Pacers attempting to break up the fights.
Play was suspended while security personnel struggled to restore order, and both teams eventually headed to the locker room. The Pacers were drenched again by fans as they passed through the tunnel, and more confrontations erupted as fans attacked the players.
It was easily the worst incident in the 37-year-history of the Pacers franchise. It also was the first time a Pistons game had been suspended before its completion in 47 years.
“That was the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life as a coach or player,” said the Pistons’ Hall of Fame coach, Larry Brown.
The incident began when Artest gave a hard foul to Pistons center Ben Wallace after the Pacers had clinched victory against the defending champs.
Wallace responded by shoving Artest hard in the chest, and had to be restrained by Pacers players and coaches from attacking Artest.
Artest responded by laying on the scorer’s table with one leg casually draped over his knee and his hands behind his head, smiling while the effort to restrain Wallace continued.
After a drink landed squarely on his chest, however, he jumped up and rushed into the stands and began throwing punches at a fan. Jackson joined the melee and other Pacers rushed into the stands to attempt to break up the fights.
Pacers radio broadcaster Mark Boyle, who attempted to tackle Artest as he hurtled himself off the scorer’s table, had a cut over his right eye after the game. Several courtside personnel were drenched with beverages, and one Pistons official was wheeled out of the arena in a wheelchair.
No arrests were made at the scene.