2004–05 Indiana Pacers season

Before the regular season began, the Indiana Pacers were considered a favorite in the Eastern Conference to possibly reach the NBA Finals, due to a very deep, talented roster including established names such as Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, etc.

Al Harrington, a combination forward who had established himself as one of the best sixth-men in the NBA in the past two years, was dealt in the offseason to the Atlanta Hawks in return for swingman Stephen Jackson after Harrington allegedly demanded that the Pacers start him or trade him.

[edit] The Brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills

The Pacers started off the 2004-05 season in extremely strong fashion–until the infamous events of November 19, 2004.

Towards the end of a Pacers victory over the Detroit Pistons (whom had eliminated the Pacers in the previous year's Eastern Conference Finals) at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pacers' Ron Artest committed a hard foul against Ben Wallace. Wallace retaliated, and Artest ran over to the scorers table and laid atop it in order to prevent himself from being provoked into an altercation with Wallace. Pistons fan John Green threw a cup of beer at Artest, causing Artest to charge into the stands. The situation escalated to a full-scale brawl, with fans and several Pacers taking part. Stephen Jackson followed Artest into the stands while Jermaine O'Neal struck a fan who came onto the court. Jamaal Tinsley picked up a long-handled dustpan in order to use as a weapon, although he never had to use it. The game was called with 46 seconds left on the clock and the Pacers left the floor amid a shower of beer and other beverages that rained down from the stands [5]. Artest was suspended for the rest of the season without pay for his role in the 'basketbrawl.'

Several of the involved players were suspended by NBA Commissioner David Stern, but the hardest hit were Artest (suspended for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs), Jackson (suspended for 30 games), O'Neal (25 games), Wallace (6 games) and the Pacers' Anthony Johnson (5 games) (O'Neal's suspension was later reduced to 15 games by arbitrator Roger Kaplan, a decision that was upheld by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels). O'Neal was charged with two counts of assault and battery, while Artest, Jackson, Johnson and David Harrison were charged with one count each.

[edit] 2004-05 (continued)

After the brawl and riot that followed, the Pacers fell downward into the Central Division. They went from a legitimate title contender to a team that hovered around .500 in winning percentage. The Pistons eventually became the Central Division champions. Despite the difficulties with the suspensions and injuries, the Pacers earned a sixth seed in the playoffs with a record of 44-38, due to strong play by many talented members of the Pacers' deep bench, including Fred Jones, Anthony Johnson, and Austin Croshere, and a resurgence by Reggie Miller, whose career had been dwindling in recent years. Throughout the season, the Pacers signed several different players to assist replace the bench players who had been promoted to starters, including Michael Curry, Marcus Haislip, and others.

An important reason for their strong finish was the re-acquisition of Dale Davis, who had been released by New Orleans after being traded there by Golden State. He played the final 25 games of the regular season and every playoff game, contributing a strong presence at center. And Davis' signing coincided with an injury to Jermaine O'Neal that would knock him out for virtually the remainder of the regular season—indeed, O'Neal's first missed game due to his injury was Davis' first game back with the Pacers.

So despite the adversity they had gone through, the Pacers made the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 years. In the first round, Indiana defeated the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics in seven games, winning Game 7 in Boston by the decisive margin of 97-70.

The Pacers then advanced to the second-round against the Detroit Pistons, in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals. The series featured games back at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the scene of the brawl that many assumed at the time had effectively ended the Pacers' season. After losing game 1, the Pacers won the next two games to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Pacers could not repeat their victories against the Pistons and lost the next 3 games, losing the series 4-2.

The final game (game 6) was on May 19, 2005; Reggie Miller, in his final NBA game, scored 27 points and received a huge standing ovation from the crowd. Despite Miller's effort, the Pacers lost, sending Miller into retirement without an NBA Championship in his 18-year career, all with the Pacers. Miller had his #31 jersey retired by the Pacers on March 30, 2006 when the Pacers played the Phoenix Suns.

After the 2004-05 season, the Pacers completed a major overhaul of their roster, including moving Ron Artest, Anthony Johnson, Fred Jones, Austin Croshere, and others.

Indeed, the Indiana Pacers' 2004-05 campaign, with the retirement of Reggie Miller, marked the end of an era in Pacers basketball.