Here come the suspensions, and there goes the patience

You know those focus groups the NBA put together after the 2004 Auburn Hills riot?

Where did we put those people’s names?

Not that Saturday night’s rumble reached Pacers-Pistons, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it proportions.

The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets tumbled into the first few rows behind one baseline but otherwise stayed on the court. In a heartening development, they squared off with each other and didn’t punch out any of the customers.

Of course, for the Mother of All P.R. Debacles, there’s nothing like a 10-man melee in Madison Square Garden, at the heart of the media capital of the world, triggered in no small part by the Knicks, the local laughingstock.

There was an ominous silence Sunday, waiting for Commissioner David Stern, who is expected to announce fines and suspensions totaling millions of dollars today.

Sure to be suspended are the Knicks’ Mardy Collins and Nate Robinson and Denver’s J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony.

Robinson is in particular peril after taking the swipe at Smith that blew up the tense situation.

When ESPN’s Chris Sheridan estimated that Anthony would get four games for punching Collins, Denver Coach George Karl said, “I’ll take the over.”

Anthony issued an apology Sunday in a prepared statement, apparently written with a lawyer at hand:

“In the heat of the moment I let my emotions get the best of me,” Anthony wrote. “I apologize to the fans, the Denver Nuggets, the NBA, my mother, and my family for the embarrassment I have caused them. I ask you all for your forgiveness.”

Yet to be seen is whether Stern will rule unilaterally, as he always has, or consult the union, which will otherwise start the grievance process, as it always does.

It should be noted that even if the NBA often comes off as a big street gang with 30 chapters, it’s not really the most violent league or the most lawless.

If the Yankees’ Randy Johnson had drilled the Mets’ David Wright and all 50 players had “spilled onto the field” -- it happens so often there’s an operative cliche -- a few fines would have been handed out and appealed and all would have gone about their business.

The NBA, though, is the most debacle-prone league.

Stern has been largely successful in cleaning up fighting ... the problem being that the few that occur are big, resulting in millions of dollars of penalties and screaming headlines.

Saturday’s events revolve around beleaguered Knicks Coach and President Isiah Thomas, who recently noted, “I don’t think I’ve ever been under this much pressure before in my life, outside of making it out of the West Side of Chicago.”

Thomas took over after last summer’s Keystone Kops firing of Larry Brown, who had been giving roadside interviews to the media, which had been barred from the practice facility. The embarrassment was such that Knicks corporate boss James Dolan was obliged to announce that Thomas had to make “significant progress.”

Assuming Dolan meant something more than 35 wins, that was a longshot at best and laughable at worst. After media day on the first day of training camp, an ESPN.com headline announced, “For Isiah, the end appears near.”

The end of Thomas’ patience was already at hand. At the summer league in Las Vegas he chastened Karl, a friend of Brown who had spoken out, suggesting that Karl mind his own team’s business.

So it might not have been a coincidence that four of Karl’s starters were still on the court at the end of Saturday’s game with the Nuggets leading, 119-100.

Thomas even acknowledged telling Anthony, “You’re up 19 with a minute and a half to go, you and [Marcus] Camby really shouldn’t be in the game right now.”

Thomas is known for his no-holds-barred combativeness, going back to the Bad Boy Pistons who were so ornery, they even fought one another. In a memorable practice brawl, Thomas punched 6-foot-10 Bill Laimbeer, his best friend on the team.

Nor was it a surprise when Collins chased down Smith on a breakaway and grabbed him around the neck and shoulders.

Although it was the hardest of hard fouls -- “excessive to say the least,” wrote the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola -- it resulted only in the usual angry milling around.

Among the 10 players holding each other back was the 5-8 Robinson. Brash to a fault, he had earlier messed up a breakaway dunk in a close game, trying to grab the ball off a high bounce and dunk it, and bristled when asked about it afterward.

“That’s spontaneous Nate Robinson,” he said.

Spontaneous Nate Robinson confronted Smith and then took a swipe at him, hitting nothing yet changing everything. Smith charged Robinson and the melee was on.

Robinson said he was only “trying to protect family” and “the fans will be 100% with us.” Luckily, he’s up only for his role in the fight. If being clueless were against NBA rules, he’d be barred for life and he could go dominate some 6-feet-and-under league.

If this had happened in the Pat Riley era when the Knicks brandished their manliness (“tough town, tough team”) and a team official suggested putting a crime-scene dotted-line figure on the cover of the media guide, the fans might well have found some reason to stand by them.

This team is 9-17. The next time Thomas says it’s just the guys in this room against everyone else, it won’t be just a rallying cry.

*

mark.heisler@latimes.com