Artest fouled Ben Wallace on a layup, and gave him a little nudge when he did.
After the play, Wallace came at Artest, and shoved him in the neck with both hands.
All the players and the refs got between them and the two teams started arguing with each other.
Artest layed down on the scorer's table with his hands behind his head, as if to watch the festivities (I think he knows he is not on good terms with the league and wanted to play it cool).
Players keep arguing, Stephen Jackson of the Pacers is trying to goad a Piston to hit him. Ben Wallace gets a towel from the bench and throws it at Artest, still laying on the table.
A fan chucks a plastic cup of beer/soda at Artest and hits him. Artest jumps up and charges into the stands. About 5 rows back, he grabs the guy who threw it and tries to hit him. I don't know if he connected.
The other players charge into the stands, and some of the fans start swinging at the Pacers. Stephen Jackson nails this one fan square.
Beer bottles and cups are flying all over - when the Pacers leave through the tunnel, fans are pouring their drinks all over them. I think Jermaine O'Neal dragged a fan out of the stands - but the camera cut away.
Wow. You saw a lot more detail than I did. My understanding, BTW, is that the Pistons "fan" hit Artest with a BOTTLE. That's very different.
And Artest did not seem to be grinning and gloating or whatever you insinuated as he lay on the scorers' table. I know because you didn't see his face, nor did anyone else in the country.
Artest took a HARD shot to the throat by Rasheed Wallace, a crack-head from Portland- "Home of the Gangsta NBA Playa"- and fought back.. Then, laying on his back on the scorers' table, he gets hit by a glass bottle. That's Assualt and Battery, folks. I'd have gone after that "fan" too.
Reads like a pretty accurate play-by-play of what I watched on ESPN four or five times. But it took me at least a couple of viewings to realize that it really escalated once the fans got involved.
Good description. I'll have to check ESPN Sounds like fun.
he grabs the guy who threw it and tries to hit him. I don't know if he connected.
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Not the guy who threw the plastic cup at Artest- he got the wrong guy and assaulted the cr** out of him. ESPN said he got the wrong fan. But artest was nuts to assault the fan IN THE STANDS 10 rows in.....