On a Saturday night of horribly sloppy NBA basketball, the strangest sight of all came moments after the Indiana Pacers had escaped the Delta Center with a 100-97 win over the fast-fading Jazz.

As the teams left the floor, Indiana coach Isiah Thomas sought out Karl Malone. They spoke briefly at center court, patted each other on the back and -- smiling -- headed in different directions.

To realize why this pleasant exchange seemed out of place, one has to think back 10 years.

On Dec. 14, 1991, Thomas and his Detroit Pistons played Malone and the Jazz. During the game, Thomas drove into Malone and ended up with a bloody gash over his eye. Malone was ejected and suspended for one game by the NBA.