[4] Pistons center Ben Wallace attempted a layup shot but was fouled from behind by Pacers small forward Ron Artest.

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.

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.

[10] Coming off a two-game winning streak, the Pacers held a 6–2 record, while the defending champion Pistons had begun their season 4–3.

Pacers president Donnie Walsh later stated that Artest was following advice he had received on how to calm down and avoid trouble in a volatile situation.

[14][17] Artest immediately reacted to this by jumping off the table, charging into the stands, and grabbing another spectator, Michael Ryan, whom he mistakenly believed was responsible.

Pacers play-by-play announcer Mark Boyle stood from his chair at the broadcast table in an attempt to hold back Artest and was knocked backwards and stepped on, suffering five fractured vertebrae and a gouge on his head.

[18] Pacers players Eddie Gill, David Harrison, Reggie Miller (who did not play because of an injury), Fred Jones, and Jamaal Tinsley, the Pistons' Rasheed Wallace, and numerous personnel (including Pistons radio analyst and former player Rick Mahorn) also quickly entered the stands to get Artest and Jackson, and to break up the fighting.

As Haddad stood up, Jermaine O'Neal punched him in the jaw after a running start,[14] while slipping in liquid and falling backwards, causing witnesses Scot Pollard, ESPN sideline reporter Jim Gray, and Pistons executive Tom Wilson to briefly fear that O'Neal would kill Haddad.

Although Auburn Hills police had plans to handle many disorders, and had three officers in the arena, they were unprepared for the possibility of players entering the stands or masses of fans going onto the court.

Pacers assistant coach Chuck Person compared the situation to being "trapped in a gladiator-type scene where the fans were the lions and we were just trying to escape with our lives.

[13] Pistons fans booed the Pacers players as they were escorted from the court by officials and security, and continued to throw beverages, popcorn and other objects (including a steel folding chair that nearly hit O'Neal) at them as they walked under the tunnel to the locker room.

[3][15] Brown tried to talk to the fans over the loudspeaker of the arena in an attempt to stop the debacle, but his pleas availed nothing, and he threw down the microphone in exasperation.

[19][20] Pistons public address announcer John Mason implored the remaining crowd to leave the court and arena because the game was over, and pleaded with fans to not throw any objects or engage in fighting.

[3][25] Auburn Hills police entered the locker room to make arrests, but the team rushed Artest onto the bus and refused to take him off.

The police decided to protect the Pacers as they left the arena, delaying decisions about criminal charges and arrests until after reviewing videos of the incident.

[3] By the time the Pacers' team bus departed, dozens of police cruisers were stationed in the parking lot and lined the surrounding road.

[26] David Harrison was also seen fighting with fans, but the NBA stated that he would not be suspended because "the incident occurred as the players were attempting to leave the floor".

The NBA argued that under the terms of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Stern had absolute authority to hand out suspensions and hear appeals for all on-court incidents.

Indiana's O'Neal, who also threw usher Melvin Kendziorski onto the scorer's table when attempting to enter the stands, and Pistons fan/spectator Green, who Gorcyca said "single-handedly incited" the brawl by throwing the cup at Artest,[18] were charged with two counts.

[37] Bryant Jackson, who had prior criminal convictions, was charged with felony assault for throwing a chair, which nearly hit O'Neal during the brawl.

[39] David Wallace was convicted, and sentenced to one year of probation and community service for punching Pacers player Fred Jones from behind.

In September 2005, Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal were all sentenced to one year on probation, 60 hours of community service, a $250 fine, and anger management counseling.

The following Tuesday, Shapiro stated, "I wish the studio hadn't laid the blame solely on the backs of the fans Friday night.

South Carolina and Clemson’s teams declined their bowl bids and received penalties from their respective conferences following the brawl.

[67] After winning his first NBA championship in 2010,[68] Artest apologized to Jackson and other Pacers for being "so young and egotistical", stating "sometimes I feel like a coward when I see those guys.

[69][70] During the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, only one of the nine players who were suspended after the brawl was still with his original team: Ben Wallace, who signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent in 2006, later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and rejoined the Pistons on August 7, 2009.

[79] Many Pacers from the 2004–05 season believe that the brawl and its consequences ruined a potential championship team, and that the referees did not assist the players well enough to be physically harmed by visitors.

[47] On November 19, 2009, John Green, the fan who helped instigate the brawl, appeared on ESPN's First Take, where he talked about the incident and the changes he had made since then.