If it weren t for the Auburn incident, the Pacers would have long had hope of winning the first championship in the history of the team

On June 16, in the sixth game of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals, when the final whistle sounded and the Detroit Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 88-79 and dragged the series into tiebreak, Ron Artest sat in the locker room and refused to take off his jersey for a long time. The man who once caused the most serious fight in NBA history at the Auburn Hills Palace, his eyes were shining in his eyes at this moment, but his deep regret. "We should have held the Olean Cup last year." He murmured to himself in the locker, his fists clenched and loosened.

Time goes back to the night that changed fate on November 19, 2004. At that time, the Pacers ranked first in the league with 15 wins and 2 losses, and just beat the defending champion Pistons 97-82 at Auburn Hills Palace. 45.9 seconds before the end of the game, Artest's fierce foul against Ben Wallace became the fuse. When a glass of beer fell from the sky and hit his face, the hot-tempered striker completely lost control and rushed into the stands to beat fans spread all over the world through ESPN live broadcast. The subsequent punishment shocked the league: Artest was suspended for 73 games, Stephen Jackson had 30 games, and Jermaine O'Neal had 25 games (after reduced to 15 games). This team that is determined to win the championship instantly lost three cores and its season prospects were cut in half.

"That was like a nightmare. "The Pacers coach Rick Carlisle recalled, "We have the most complete lineup in the league. Ron is the best defensive player, Jermaine is the MVP candidate, Reggie (Miller) maintains the killer instinct at critical moments, and a super sixth man like Stephen. "The data confirms Carlisle's judgment: before the suspension, the Pacers averaged averaging 9.3 points, and the defensive efficiency is the first in the league. ESPN analyst Bill Simmons once wrote an article: "If there were no Auburn Hill incident, there would be at least 70% chance that the 2005 championship would be Indiana. "

Artest's suspension has caused a devastating blow to the team's offensive and defensive system. The best defensive player of 2004 is not only the outside gate, but also an important axis on the offensive end. Before the suspension, he averaged 24.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 41.5%. "Ron is the key hub of our tactical system. "The then assistant coach Kevin O'Neal revealed, "He can play back from the low post, organize and support, and open up space. Losing him is equivalent to losing the starter at three positions at the same time. "

What is more fatal is the psychological blow. Veteran Reggie Miller wrote in his autobiography "I Love This Game": "When we walked into the stadium, the opponent's eyes changed when they looked at us. In the past, they were awe, but now they are mercy." The team's winning rate plummeted to 48.1% during Artest's suspension, and finally ended the season with a bleak record of 44 wins and 38 losses. Although he barely squeezed into the playoffs, he was eliminated 4-3 by the Celtics in the first round. The 38-year-old Miller ended his career with endless regrets.

History is always full of dramatic coincidences. In the 2004 Finals, the Pistons defeated the Lakers who had "F4" to win the championship; and the Pacers were the only team in the East that year that year to maintain an advantage in the Pistons (3 wins and 1 loss). "We have studied all the data. "Former Pistons coach Larry Brown admitted, "Indiana is the last opponent we want to touch. Their forward team can perfectly restrain our defensive system. "

In the 2005 playoffs, Artest, who returned from the ban, led the Pacers to the return of the king. In the seventh game of eliminating the Celtics 4-3 in the first round, he scored 28 points and 7 rebounds, blocking Paul Pierce's final layup at the last moment. In the second round, he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in G6 to drag the series into tiebreak. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, Artest averaged 17.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, limiting Prince's shooting percentage to 34.7%. "That was the most terrifying defensive performance I've ever seen. "Dog Collins, then TNT commentator, commented, "Ron proved that he deserved DPOY (Best Defensive Player). "

In the last two minutes of the tiebreak battle, the Pacers were 4 points behind and had the ball. Artest received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right, and suddenly pulled a three-pointer against Prince's defense - the ball bounced three times on the basket and finally bounced out. This scene became one of the most painful moments in his career. "I dream about that ball every night. " In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2017, he admitted, "If we make it, we can play the Spurs in the finals. Tim (Duncan) had plantar fasciitis that year, and we had a chance. "

Fate showed a cruel sense of humor in the summer of 2005. Due to the fiscal losses and image crisis caused by the Auburn Hill incident, the Pacers management decided to break up the core lineup. Artest was traded to the Kings in just 16 games in the 2005-06 season, and O'Neal Jr. also left the team in 2008. The team that could have established a dynasty fell into decline until Paul George rose to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013.

Times have changed. When Artest followed the Lakers to win the 2010 championship with the name "Ci Shiping", he held the trophy in the locker room and told reporters: "This championship should belong to Indiana." In the documentary "The Defeat" produced by ESPN in 2020, he reddened his eyes in the camera: "I owe Reggie a championship and an explanation from Indiana fans. Those children (referring to teammates at the time) could have become legends. "

Now Artest, who is coaching in the BIG3 League, always has a photo of the Pacers in the office in 2004. "Sometimes I think if I could control my emotions that day..." His voice gradually became deeper. And in the corridor of the Indianapolis Banker Life Arena, the 2004 Eastern Championship flag was quietly hung, as if telling the unrealized dream of the dynasty. For this city that has been waiting for the first championship in the team history for nearly fifty years, the Auburn Mountain incident will always be an inhealthy scar, and Artest's regret may be deeper than that scar.