Thursday, March 28, 2002
NBA suspends 4 Pacers players
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jermaine O'Neal of the Indiana Pacers was suspended for two games without pay Thursday and fined $10,000 by the NBA for throwing punches, and three teammates received automatic one-game bans for leaving the bench against Detroit.
O'Neal was ejected with 1:16 remaining in a 96-77 loss to the Pistons Tuesday after a hard foul on Corliss Williamson, who then slammed the ball off O'Neal's back. The two started jawing at each other before O'Neal threw an elbow as Williamson backed away.
Williamson was fined $5,000 for throwing the ball at O'Neal's head.
Pacers Johnathan Bender, Primoz Brezec and Bruno Sundov left the bench and stepped between O'Neal and Williamson. Bender, Brezec and Sundov were suspended for one game each without pay and fined $5,000.
Suns 119, Lakers 106
PHOENIX — Shawn Marion scored 32 points and matched his season high with 18 rebounds as Phoenix reached its highest point total this season. The Lakers, 3-3 in their last six games, fell a game behind Sacramento for the best record in the NBA.
Hornets 111, Magic 104
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jamaal Magloire scored 21 points, Jamal Mashburn added 20 and Charlotte extended its winning streak to seven games.
The Hornets beat Orlando for the third time in four games, securing the tiebreaking edge over the Magic.
Celtics 102, Warriors 99
BOSTON — Paul Pierce scored four points in the last nine seconds and finished with 33 points. Danny Fortson led Golden State with 20 points.
Knicks 89, Pistons 82
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Lavor Postell scored a career-high 20 points in 22 minutes to lead the Knicks.
Nets 88, 76ers 80
PHILADELPHIA — Richard Jefferson scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for New Jersey. Jefferson played in place of Kenyon Martin, who completed a two-game suspension.
The Sixers slipped to 1-9 this season without Allen Iverson.
Raptors 81, Heat 80
TORONTO — Morris Peterson scored 21 points, including a game-winning layup with 8.4 seconds left.
Antonio Davis added 19 points, and Jerome Williams had 18 for the Raptors, who have won three straight games and moved into a tie with Washington for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot.
WIZARDS: Michael Jordan might not return to play with Washington next season because of his nagging knee injury, his coach said. “I'd be surprised, next year, if he did play,” coach Doug Collins said on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption.
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NBA suspends 4 Pacers players
