Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 21, 1990 TAG: 9004210124
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: AUBURN HILLS, MICH. LENGTH: Medium
The brawl Thursday night between the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers was more than ugly. It was dangerous because fans got into it at the end.
"You hate to see that for a thousand reasons, the main one being for the health and well-being of the players," 76ers coach Jim Lynam said. "I've never seen anything like that in the NBA."
It was a sour ending to a sweet night for the 76ers, who beat Detroit 107-97 to win their first Atlantic Division championship since 1983 - the year Philadelphia went on to win its last NBA championship.
The big brawl came with 14.8 seconds left, after the 76ers clearly had the victory wrapped up. The fuse had been burning all night, maybe all season.
The main combatants were Bill Laimbeer and Scott Hastings of Detroit along with former Piston Rick Mahorn and Charles Barkley of Philadelphia.
On Friday, the NBA levied a league-record $162,500 in fines and suspended Laimbeer, Hastings and Barkley for one game. The league fined Laimbeer and Barkley $20,000 apiece and fined Hastings $10,000, and each team was assessed $50,000 for failing to control its players.
In addition, Detroit's Isiah Thomas was fined $7,500 for punching Mahorn in an earlier incident, and five players on each team were hit with $500 fines for coming off the bench during the brawl.
Before the penalties were announced, Barkley said he wasn't worried about being punished.
"I don't care if I get fined," said Barkley, whose ejection was his fifth of the season. "I make $3 million. What's a couple thousand dollars?"
Earlier in the game, Mahorn was involved in shoving incidents with Joe Dumars and Thomas. Thomas finally threw two punches and was ejected with 3:40 left in the game.
"I guess it was just the intensity of the moment," Mahorn said.
With 14.8 seconds to play, Mahorn scored and was fouled on the play by Dennis Rodman. When Laimbeer retrieved the ball, he shoved it into Mahorn's face, then stiff-armed his former teammate in the chest.
Barkley tore into Laimbeer, landing a couple of punches to Laimbeer's face, and both benches emptied. Hastings sucker-punched Barkley during the melee.
"It started when Laimbeer put the ball in Mahorn's face," referee Jake O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell's crew, considered one of the NBA's best, had let the two teams bang on one another, physically and verbally, all night.
"Officiating has got to stop this from happening," Detroit coach Chuck Daly said. "I thought the officials did a good job. They are all good officials.
"I think it has been brewing since early in the season. Barkley has been challenging Laimbeer. Mahorn got in a couple of fights."
On this night, though, it didn't end with the players. As Barkley was being escorted from the court, through the Pistons' tunnel, a fan took a swing at him.
"I don't think our people here at the Palace did a very good job," Daly said. "Players should be taken out on the other side, not near the bench."
Pistons reserve guard Gerald Henderson, a former 76er who has been in the league 10 seasons, called it the worst fight he has seen. NBA roundup. B2
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB