Fan Is Guilty in Brawl

The man accused of sparking the brawl between players and fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November 2004 was convicted of assault Monday in Rochester Hills, Mich., for punching then-Indiana Pacer Ron Artest.

John Green was acquitted, however, of throwing a cup at Artest before the forward charged into the stands and began fighting with Detroit Piston fans.

Green, 41, was the last person with a case pending after the brawl.

He faces up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. Sentencing was scheduled for May 1.

Green and his attorney, Shawn Patrick Smith, said they would appeal on grounds that Artest was not present for the trial.

Assistant prosecutor John Pietrofesa said Artest’s testimony wasn’t needed.

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Sacramento King forward Bonzi Wells was fined $5,000 by the NBA for punching a ball into the locker-room tunnel during Sunday’s loss to Golden State. Wells, angered over a foul call against him, was ejected in the first quarter for his actions.

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The Orlando Magic extended the contracts of forward Dwight Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson through the 2007-08 season.