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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rumor Mill Churning

Associated Press

The rumblings are getting louder about coaches going everywhere these days, with vacancies an almost certainty in Golden State, Miami, and Boston.

Chris Ford looks like he wants out of Boston and management agrees, and the Detroit Pistons are first in line. Despite another year on his contract, look for the Pistons to bid adieu to Don Chaney and his staff. … Chuck Daly, now a television analyst, is pushing his former assistant Brendan Suhr hard for the Golden State Warriors headcoaching job next season, with little or no chance of Bob Lanier sticking around. Look for former Warriors coach Don Nelson to resurface, perhaps in Miami, where interim Alvin Gentry will be part of the inevitable overhaul. If Sacramento doesn’t bring back Garry St. Jean, look for GM Geoff Petrie to recall his old buddy Rick Adelman from Portland after a year’s sabbatical. St. Jean could be hired at Golden State, Miami, or he’s even a sleeper back home in Boston.

Barkley benched

Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns, whistled for his sixth flagrant foul of the season, was suspended for Saturday night’s game against the Lakers, which the Suns won 119-114.

Under a league rule instituted last season, players receive an automatic one-game suspension for any flagrant fouls over five in one season. Barkley went over the limit Friday night, when the Suns were beaten 102-87 by the Nuggets in Denver.

Originally, Barkley was called for his sixth flagrant foul on March 19 in Miami, when he tripped the Heat’s John Salley.

But Rod Thorn, the NBA’s vice president of operations, reviewed that game’s videotape and reversed the call, allowing Barkley to play in a nationally televised game March 21 at Orlando.

League officials reviewed the tape of Friday night’s game, and ruled Saturday morning that Barkley flagrantly knocked down Denver guard Bryant Stith with a forearm with 11:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Barkley said he had been shoved by Stith at the other end of the floor moments earlier, and was merely retaliating.

Webber back in D.C.?

Hundreds of times, Chris Webber has been asked whether he will return to the Washington Bullets next season, and most of the time his response has been the same: definitely. But that same question brought a less convincing response last week.

“I definitely like D.C.; that’s where I want to be,” Webber said before Thursday’s game against the New York Knicks. “But I don’t think everything’s guaranteed, especially what I’ve learned in life. I’d love to be back, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The Bullets traded Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks to Golden State for Webber, who then signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract. After this season he becomes a restricted free agent, meaning he can seek other qualifying offers. The Bullets would simply have to match a qualifying offer to retain the rights to Webber.

From the quotebook …

“Because I wanted to. I needed a rest.”

Chicago’s Scottie Pippen on why he stopped talking to the media for six weeks.

“I just wish they gave out the award today so it could be over. We’re all having good years, but we’re all different. No matter how you look at it, whoever wins, the other guys are going to be upset.”

Detroit’s Grant Hill on the race for rookie of the year between himself, the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd and Milwaukee’s Glenn Robinson.

“Maybe I should get a tattoo and start cussing.”

Phoenix coach Paul Westphal responding to criticism that he’s too soft on his players.