Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - The Pacers sun nemi gina kan kamfen ɗin da suka gabata a cikin kakar 2004/05, amma duk shirye-shiryen su sun lalace a watan Nuwamba. A wani wasa da Pistons a The Palace na Auburn Hills, a brawl
ya fashe wanda ya zube a cikin masu sauraro. O'Neal na ɗaya daga cikin Pacers waɗanda suka yi yaƙi da magoya baya biyu waɗanda suka zo kotu; ya gudu don kare abokin aikinsa Ron Artest, ya zame kan wani ruwa, kuma ya buge ɗaya daga cikin magoya baya a kai da ƙarfi cewa abokin aikinsa Scot Pollard da mai ba da labari na wasanni Jim Gray sun ji tsoron cewa O'Neal zai kashe magoya baya. Yayin da shi da abokan wasansa na Pacer suka bar kotun, magoya baya da yawa da suka fusata sun jefa kayan ciye-ciye, abubuwan sha, har ma da kujera mai ninkawa a kan O'Neal. Dangane da ayyukan O'Neal yayin fadan, Kwamishinan NBA David Stern ya dakatar da shi na wasanni 25; an dakatar da abokan wasan Artest da Stephen Jackson na sauran kakar da wasanni 30 bi da bi. Bayan daukaka kara kafin Kirsimeti, O'Neal ya sami raguwar wasanni goma a cikin hukuncinsa, amma wannan bai rage lalacewar da Indiana ta riga ta sha wahala ba. Ba tare da manyan 'yan wasan sa uku ba, ƙungiyar ta yi rauni zuwa rikodin 44 zuwa 38 kuma ta shida. O'Neal ya bayyana a wasanni 44 kawai, mafi ƙarancinsa a Indiana. Kodayake matsakaicin maki ya inganta zuwa maki 24.3 a kowane wasa, sake dawowarsa ya ragu kuma ya daina kasancewa mai tsoratarwa a cikin tsaro. Abubuwa sun kara tabarbarewa lokacin da ya karye kafadarsa ta dama a watan Maris kuma ya taka leda a cikin sauran lokutan wasanni, yayin da yake fatan samun sauki a lokacin wasan. Pacers sun zana Celtics a zagaye na farko, kuma sun sami damar ceton lokacin su ta hanyar lashe jerin 4<unk>3. O'Neal, duk da haka, ba ya wasa da kyau kamar yadda zai iya: fitarwa ta harin ya ragu, kuma ya harbi da talauci daga filin. Lokacin da Pacers suka hadu da Pistons a wasan kusa da na karshe, an fitar da su a wasanni shida, wanda ya kawo karshen wani lokacin takaici ga O'Neal.