Pacers/Pistons Brawl
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The Pacers-Pistons brawl (a.k.a. The Malice at the Palace) was an altercation that occurred at the end of a game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers on November 19, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Fighting began on the court and then, after a fan threw a plastic cup at a player, extended into the stands. It led to serious repercussions for those involved, from both the NBA and legal authorities.
The brawl began with 45.9 seconds remaining in the game, with Indiana leading 97-82. Piston forward/center Ben Wallace drove to the basket and was about to put up a shot when Pacer forward Ron Artest fouled him. Upset at being fouled hard when the game's outcome had effectively been decided, Wallace responded by shoving Artest. Several players from both teams joined the fray, resulting in an altercation.
The focus of the on-court scuffling gradually moved away from Artest. He then climbed up on the scorer's table and laid down on it. Angered by Artest taunting him and pretending to give a radio interview while lying on the table, Wallace threw an armband at him. A spectator, John Green, then threw a cup at Artest while he was lying on the table. Artest responded by charging into the stands and confronting the man he mistakenly believed was responsible, triggering a violent response from nearby spectators. Pacers Stephen Jackson and David Harrison followed Artest into the stands, resulting in more punching and grappling with spectators.
Several spectators were struck by Pacer players, while a few retaliated with punches of their own, including Green. Others threw cups of beer and soda at Pacer players. Two spectators angrily walked onto the court. One of them, A.J. Shackleford, confronted Artest, who was making his way back to the court. Artest punched him, which started another mêlée that eventually included several Pacer players, most notably Jermaine O'Neal, who was shown on video punching another fan, later identified as Charlie Haddad who had entered the court. Charlie Haddad was later sentenced to two years probation, 10 weekends of supervised community service, 100 hours of additional community service, substance abuse and anger management classes, and $1,040 in fines for confronting athletes on the court.
The Pistons announcer, John Mason called the game with 45.9 seconds remaining, and the Pacers were awarded the 97-82 "win" without the game finishing. More beer, soda, ice, popcorn and even a chair were thrown at Pacer players and other personnel as they were escorted from the court. No players from either team spoke to the media before leaving the arena.
It was estimated that nine spectators were injured, though none of the injuries were thought to be serious. Two of the injured were taken to a local hospital.
