Indiana’s Johnson given probation for role in brawl

Johnson, who pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of assault, became the fifth Pacer to receive probation in the wake of the incident, joining Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal, Stephen Jackson and David Harrison.

In addition, Johnson was fined $500, will have to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo an assaultive behavior program. He is also subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

The infamous brawl involving spectators and players broke out near the end of the November 19 game between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons after an on-court dispute over a foul.

The contest was stopped with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Indiana was credited with a 97-82 victory. With the Pacers ahead by 15 points, things unraveled when Ben Wallace was fouled by Artest and the Pistons’ center took exception to what he deemed a hard foul and gave Artest a two- handed push to the face.

The pushing and shoving continued by the scorers’ table as players came off both benches. The Detroit fans then lost control and began throwing cups filled with liquid and ice at Artest, who was surprisingly staying out of harm’s way on top of the scorers’ table. Artest was hit in the head by a flying cup and immediately raced into the stands and started punching whom he thought was the culprit.

Jackson followed into the crowd, along with other players, and started swinging away at the unruly fans.

Two days after the disgraceful incident, NBA commissioner David Stern issued harsh penalties, including the suspension of Artest for the remainder of the season. In addition, the NBA issued a revised set of arena guidelines to all teams, consisting of policies dealing with security, alcohol sales and fan behavior.