AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – An all-out brawl erupted near the end of the Indiana Pacers victory over Detroit on Friday night, one that will result in long-terms suspensions and possible arrests for some of the Pacers.

Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson rushed into the stands to confront fans who were drenching the Pacers with beverages with 45.9 seconds left in their 97-82 victory over the Pistons.

Artest did not appear to land punches, but Jackson did. Jermaine O’Neal later struck a fan after he was hit in the head by a chair, as chaos reigned at the Palace.

Artest later punched a fan on the court who rushed at him and tried to land a blow.

Fred Jones, Eddie Gill and David Harrison were among the Pacers players attempting to break up the fights.

Play was suspended while security personnel struggled to restore order, and both teams eventually headed to the locker room. The Pacers were drenched again by fans as they passed through the tunnel, and more confrontations erupted as fans attacked the players.

It was easily the worst incident in the 37-year-history of the Pacers franchise. It also was the first time a Pistons game had been suspended before its completion in 47 years.

“That was the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life as a coach or player,” the Pistons Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown said.

The incident began when Artest gave a hard foul to Pistons center Ben Wallace after the Pacers had clinched a victory against the defending champions.

Wallace responded by shoving Artest hard in the chest, and had to be restrained by Pacers players and coaches from attacking Artest.

Artest responded by laying on the scorer’s table with one leg casually draped over his knee and his hands behind his head, smiling while the effort to restrain Wallace continued.

After a drink landed squarely on his chest, however, he jumped up and rushed into the stands and began throwing punches at a fan. Jackson joined the melee and other Pacers rushed into the stands to attempt to break up the fights.

Pacers radio broadcaster Mark Boyle, who had attempted to tackle Artest as he hurtled himself off the scorer’s table, had a cut over his right eye after the game.

Several courtside personnel were drenched with beverages, and one Pistons official was wheeled out of the arena in a wheelchair.

Reporters were not allowed into the Pacers locker room after the game, and NBA officials gave the team permission not to make them available to the media.

A stunned Pacers coach Rick Carlisle spoke with ESPN reporter Jim Gray in the hallway outside the locker room briefly.

“It was an unfortunate incident, that’s about all I can say right now,” Carlisle said. “I’ve never seen or been involved in anything quite like this.

“Our guys tried to show a lot of restraint. People were coming out and attacking our players. There were a lot of things going on. It’s hard to know what was going on.

“I felt like I was fighting for my life out there,” Carlisle added.

No arrests were made after the game, and the entire Pacers traveling party boarded the bus for the airport.

Police department officials said players will be extradited if a decision is made to file assault charges.