Malice at the Palace

For the professional wrestling event, see WrestleFanFest Malice in the Palace. For the "The Three Stooges" short, see Malice in the Palace.

Malice at the Palace
The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the brawl took place
Indiana Pacers Detroit Pistons
97 82
Game called with 45.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter
1234 Total
Indiana Pacers 34252117 97
Detroit Pistons 27162316 82
DateNovember 19, 2004
VenueThe Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
RefereesTim Donaghy
Ron Garretson
Tommy Nuñez Jr.[1]
Attendance22,076
NetworkESPN
FSN Midwest
FSN Detroit
WKBD-TV

The "Malice at the Palace" (also known as the Pacers–Pistons brawl)[2][3] was a fight involving both players and fans that 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".[4]

With the Pacers leading 97–82 and 45.9 seconds left in the game,[5] 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 players from both teams. The players had been separated, game officials were discussing consequences, and Artest was lying on the scorer's table pending an interview when a fan named John Green hit him with a drink thrown from several rows up in the stands.[6]

Artest immediately charged into the crowd and grabbed another fan, Michael Ryan, whom he mistakenly believed was the culprit. Several Pacers 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.[7]

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.[8] Five fans also faced assault charges and were banned from attending Pistons home games for life.[9] The fight also led the NBA to increase security between players and fans and limit the sale of alcohol at games.[10]

  1. ^ "Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons Box Score, November 19, 2004 - Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  2. ^ Hill, Jemele (November 18, 2009). "The Brawl: Were lessons learned?". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  3. ^ Abrams, Jonathan (March 20, 2012). "The Malice at the Palace: An oral history of the scariest moment in NBA history". Grantland. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  4. ^ "Top 10 list of worst NBA fights, cheap shots". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  5. ^ "The WORST Night In NBA HISTORY (The Malice At The Palace)". YouTube. August 13, 2016. Archived from the original on April 9, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Brawl Between Pistons and Pacers Spills Into Crowd". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 19, 2004. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Brawl Between Pistons and Pacers Spills Into Crowd". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 19, 2004. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  8. ^ Foster, Chris (December 8, 2004). "5 Pacers, 7 fans charged in brawl". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Peters, Jeremy W.; Robbins, Liz (December 9, 2004). "5 Pacers and 5 Fans Are Charged in Fight". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  10. ^ Hill, Jemele (November 18, 2009). "Hill: Malice at the Palace, five years later". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.