| NEW YORK -- New York Knicks forward Kurt Thomas was suspended for two
games without pay and fined $10,000 by the NBA on Monday for punching
Jalen Rose of the Indiana Pacers.
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| Thomas |
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| Rose |
Thomas will miss games at New Jersey on Tuesday and at
Washington on Thursday. Rose was not suspended or fined.
Their confrontation happened during the third quarter of the
Pacers' 101-90 victory on Christmas night.
Thomas says he was provoked when Rose elbowed him in the stomach
under the Indiana basket as the two were going for a rebound.
Thomas then barged into Rose at midcourt, hit him in the head with
an elbow and clipped him with a soft jab to the chin.
Rose swung back, but did not connect. However, both were
ejected.
"I didn't do anything," Rose said.
"I was protecting myself," Thomas said. "I wish I'd handled
it differently."
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