Malice at the Palace facts for kids
The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the brawl took place
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Game called with 45.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Date | November 19, 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referees | Tim Donaghy Ron Garretson Tommy Nuñez Jr. |
||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 22,076 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN FSN Midwest FSN Detroit WDIV-TV |
||||||||||||||||||
The Malice at the Palace (also known as the Pacers–Pistons brawl) occurred during a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Indiana Pacers and the defending champion Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Associated Press called it "the most infamous brawl in NBA history."
With the Pacers leading 97–82 and 45.9 seconds left in the game, Pistons center Ben Wallace attempted a layup shot but was fouled from behind by Pacers small forward Ron Artest. A furious Wallace then shoved Artest, and a fight broke out on the court between a few players from both squads. The players had been separated, game officials were discussing consequences, and Artest was lying on the scorer's table when a fan named John Green hit him with a drink thrown from several rows up in the stands.
Artest immediately charged into the crowd and grabbed another fan, Michael Ryan, whom he mistakenly believed was the culprit. Several Pacer teammates followed, more drinks and punches were thrown, and the incident escalated into a large brawl that spread from the stands to the court and involved fans and players from both teams. The game was never completed, as a massive police presence was called to the venue to restore order and, later, to allow the visiting Pacers to safely leave the building.
After the game, the NBA suspended nine players, including Artest and Wallace, for a total of 146 games, leading to the players losing $11 million in salary. Five players were charged with assault, and eventually sentenced to a year of probation and community service. Five fans also faced assault charges and were banned from attending Pistons home games for life. The fight also led the NBA to increase security between players and fans.
Almost four years after the incident, another similar incident happened also at the same arena, this time between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock (now known as the Dallas Wings) of the WNBA. This gave it the nickname "The Malice at The Palace II".
NBA reforms
Some NBA teams immediately increased protection of players and arenas, while the NBA reminded teams of existing security procedures. The league imposed new security guidelines on February 17, 2005, for all of its arenas. The NBA also later ordered that each team put at least three security guards between the players and the fans.
Images for kids
-
Ron Artest running into the stands to attack Michael Ryan, who he believed threw a cup at him. The man in the blue jersey and white baseball cap to Artest's left, John Green, was the actual person responsible.
-
A year after the brawl, Ron Artest was traded to the Sacramento Kings.
