Jermaine O'Neal was awarded a 10-game reduction on Wednesday in his suspension for fighting with fans during the Nov. 19 Pacers-Pistons brawl, but an arbitrator upheld NBA commissioner David Stern's bans on Ron Artest and two other Indiana players.

Arbitrator Roger Kaplan's decision makes O'Neal eligible to return on Christmas Day, when the Pacers host the Pistons in the teams' first matchup since one of the most violent melees in NBA history.

"We're extremely pleased that Jermaine will have the opportunity to play, although we respectfully disagree with the decision on the other three players," players' union director Billy Hunter said. "We are also pleased that the arbitrator has affirmed the right of players to appeal disciplinary measures."

Kaplan upheld Artest's season-long suspension and the penalties given to Stephen Jackson (30 games) and Anthony Johnson (six games). O'Neal's ban was reduced from 25 games to 15 in the 28-page report.