Bomb threat delays Pistons-Pacers game

[sahyder1]

Sports Ticker

3/25/2005

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) --  The start of Friday night's game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers was delayed because of a bomb threat at The Palace.

In an incident regarded as one of the worst spectacles in sports' history, several members of the Pacers fought with fans after Indiana forward Ron Artest was hit with a beverage. The Pacers' 97-82 victory had to be called with 45 seconds remaining and several suspensions ensued.

Artest will not play after being suspended for the remainder of the season by commissioner David Stern, who affirmed Tuesday that Artest will not have his suspension reduced.

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal, who originally received a 25-game suspension for his role in the altercation but had it reduced to 15 games, will miss the contest as he recovers from a sprained right shoulder.

Stephen Jackson, who was suspended for 30 games, was one of three Pacers who scored 18 points Wednesday in a 100-93 home win against the San Antonio Spurs. Reggie Miller scored 21 for Indiana, which is 2 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Pistons and Pacers are on a postseason collision course with Detroit in second place in East and Indiana in seventh.

Pistons coach Larry Brown may make his return from a six-game absence after undergoing surgery to repair the artificial hip he had inserted earlier this season.

After a five-game winning streak, Detroit has lost two games in a row. On Wednesday, the Pistons suffered a 107-84 setback to the Philadelphia 76ers. Rasheed Wallace scored 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.

Ben Wallace, who was the only member of the Pistons to receive a suspension stemming from the incident here over four months ago, had just four rebounds - eight below his season average - in the loss against the 76ers.

The Pistons defeated the Pacers in the last two meetings of the season - both at Conseco Fieldhouse.

[VerbalPuke]

I turned on the game tonight, and found that it was delayed. This really is pathetic as Sahyder put it. It's fucking disgusting that a game of basketball can't even be played without a fucking bomb threat. I defended my fellow Pistons fans during the brawl incident in November, but I'm severly annoyed that somebody would do this. The Pistons have some great fans, but there are always some idiots that spoil the fun for everybody. I'm sick of these morons giving people like myself a bad reputation.

[Guest Brady_3for3]

It was very weird. I was there tonight, just an odd situation. The Palace never said anything offical and just said the game was being delayed. Word quickly spread through the building and everyone was shocked and word was that Pacers had left the building and were on their bus. Atleast they showed the MSU/Duke game on Palacevision.

[VerbalPuke]

It was very weird. I was there tonight, just an odd situation. The Palace never said anything offical and just said the game was being delayed. Word quickly spread through the building and everyone was shocked and word was that Pacers had left the building and were on their bus. Atleast they showed the MSU/Duke game on Palacevision.

Yeah I was at home watching the game, and Bill Laimbeer and George Blaha (the commentators for tonights game for those in the Detroit area) had mentioned the bomb threat to all of us television viewers. Apparently half of the Indiana Pacers players wanted to play, and half did not. Fortunately things were settled and the game was played.

[Guest Bluesman]

Pretty much everything Brady said was in the paper. Also they said that they had been doing sweeps earlier in the day with bomb sniffing dogs BEFORE they ever got the tip, which I think played a role in them going ahead with the game.

[pigeon]

If there was a bomb threat, why was the place not evacuated?