NBA hands out suspensions

NEW YORK — Indiana's Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, and Detroit's Ben Wallace were suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Saturday for taking part in one of the ugliest brawls in U.S. sports history, a fight with fans that commissioner David Stern called "shocking, repulsive and inexcusable."

League officials and police were examining videotapes of Friday night's melee and interviewing witnesses. The NBA issued a statement saying it was reviewing rules and security procedures "so that fans can continue to attend our games unthreatened by events such as the ones that occurred last night."

Artest, O'Neal and Jackson — who all threw punches at spectators in the stands or on the court at the end of the nationally televised Pacers-Pistons game — were to begin serving their suspensions Saturday night, when Indiana hosted Orlando.

Wallace's suspension will start at home Sunday night against Charlotte, the next game for the reigning NBA champion Pistons.

The exact length of the four players' bans could be announced as early as Sunday.

"I didn't start it. I just played the game," Wallace said Saturday before learning of his suspension. "The league is going to do whatever they feel needs to be done, and I don't have no problems with that."

Pacers players did not immediately comment Saturday, but team CEO Donnie Walsh issued a statement saying, "responsibility for Friday night's action can be shared by many."

Pistons CEO Tom Wilson said the team plans to use "playoff-level security" starting with Sunday's game, doubling the number of armed police and increasing other arena security personnel by about 25 percent.

The brawl was particularly violent, with Artest and Jackson bolting into the stands near center court and throwing punches at fans after debris was tossed at the players.

Later, fans who came onto the court were punched in the face by Artest and O'Neal.

"We'll put it all together, take it to the Oakland County prosecutor's office and have them review it and they'll decide if there are any charges," Auburn Hills Deputy Chief Jim Mynsberge said.

"The whole fiasco could take weeks to decide," Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said.

The next game between Indiana and Detroit is Dec. 25 at Indianapolis. The rivals, who met in the Eastern Conference finals last season, won't play each other in Auburn Hills, Mich., again until March 25.