NEW YORK — Mavericks guard Delonte West sounded contrite yet surprised by the $25,000 fine levied against him by the NBA for jabbing his finger in the ear of Utah swingman Gordon Haywood.
Mavs’ West fined
$25K for ‘wet willy’
NEW YORK — Mavericks guard Delonte West sounded contrite yet surprised by the $25,000 fine levied against him by the NBA for jabbing his finger in the ear of Utah swingman Gordon Haywood.
The NBA issued the fine earlier in the day, calling it a “physical taunt.”
West had been called for fouling Hayward away from the ball then walked after him to give him what he called a “wet willy” during the second quarter of Utah’s 123-121 triple-overtime win over Dallas on Monday night
Bobcats brawl
in locker room
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The frustration of losing has started to boil over for the NBA-worst Charlotte Bobcats.
A Bobcats executive confirmed there was an altercation Sunday night in the team locker room between coach Paul Silas and forward Tyrus Thomas.
The incident, first reported by Yahoo!, took place after Charlotte’s 94-82 loss to the Boston Celtics. It was confirmed by President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins.
According to the report, Silas took exception to Thomas for fraternizing with some Celtics players and yelled at him after the game. Shouting ensued and the 68-year-old Silas shoved Thomas toward his locker stall and the two were separated.
Torres suspended indefinitely
CHICAGO — Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for a hit that knocked Chicago’s Marian Hossa out of Game 3 in the teams’ opening-round playoff series.
Torres faces a Friday hearing with NHL officials in New York.
The hearing was planned for Wednesday but was deferred at the request of the player and NHL Players’ Association.
Hossa was carried off the ice on a stretcher in the first period Tuesday night after Torres hit him with his shoulder and drove him to the ice.
Hard sell for possible Clemens juror
WASHINGTON — A man whose response to jury duty was “No, no, no, no, no” and who said he’d rather be sleeping was nevertheless found qualified to remain a potential juror in Roger Clemens’ perjury trial, which won’t finish seating a panel before Monday.
Meanwhile, the court took time out Wednesday to debate whether Clemens’ former teammate Andy Pettitte could identify his source of human growth hormone as the trainer who allegedly supplied Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs.
By wire sources