Fan arrested after Iverson hit by coin at Pistons game

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- A fan was arrested Tuesday night after the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson was struck with a coin at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The incident did not escalate into a confrontation on the scale of the Nov. 19 Palace brawl involving Detroit Pistons fans and Indiana Pacers players.

Iverson was hit while sitting on the bench with about two minutes left in the 76ers' first-round playoff game against the Pistons, Auburn Hills police Sgt. Rick Leonard said in a written statement. Other fans pointed out the suspect to police and Palace security.

The man, identified only as a 31-year-old Taylor, Mich., resident, was released pending a review of the incident by Oakland County prosecutors, Leonard said.

Iverson scored 19 points in the 99-84 Detroit victory that gave the Pistons a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

In the Nov. 19 brawl, Indiana's Ron Artest rushed into the stands and began striking a man he thought had thrown a drink on him. Some of his teammates joined him in the stands and also clashed with fans on the court.

Five Pacers players and four Pistons fans are charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Fans William Paulson and John Ackerman are to go on trial July 11.

John Green, the fan who prosecutors say sparked the brawl by lobbing the drink at Artest, is to be tried along with David Wallace, brother of Pistons center Ben Wallace, on July 15.

The Pacers players are to be tried separately, starting with Artest on Aug. 1 and followed by Anthony Johnson, David Harrison, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson in that order.

A fan charged with throwing a chair pleaded no contest last month and awaits sentencing. Three other fans were sentenced to probation for walking onto the court or throwing objects.

NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for the season, and handed lengthy suspensions to O'Neal and Jackson.