Rodman Sent Home

A controversial goaltending call with 0.5 seconds left Friday night gave the Chicago Bulls a 100-98 victory over the New Jersey Nets in a game Dennis Rodman missed after his first brush with trouble this season.

Rodman was sent back to Chicago by coach Phil Jackson after missing the team shootaround Friday morning. The Bulls obviously missed him as they were outrebounded 54-34 and allowed the Nets to stay in the game by scoring several key baskets after grabbing offensive rebounds.

In the end, though, it came down to an alley-oop inbounds pass from midcourt that was grabbed by Jason Caffey as Nets rookie Keith Van Horn scrambled late onto the court after a timeout. As Caffey was ready to dunk the ball, Jayson Williams came over and attempted to block the shot.

Referee Tommy Nunez called goaltending.

There was no official word as to why Rodman hadn’t shown up at the shootaround. He missed Wednesday night’s victory over Charlotte because of the flu.

The Denver Nuggets tied an NBA record for most consecutive losses in one season, dropping their 23rd game in a row, 93-77 at Phoenix.

Stoudamire Portland-bound?

Sources told Houston television station KRIV that the Toronto Raptors are close to sending the high-scoring Damon Stoudamire to Portland in a multi-player deal that would also move guard Kenny Anderson to Toronto.

Sprewell laments behavior

With time running out before his status is determined by an arbitrator, Latrell Sprewell expressed remorse for attacking P.J. Carlesimo and said he was not “another O.J. Simpson.”

“I’m not as bad as everyone has made me out to be,” Sprewell said in an interview with the New York Post. “It’s as if I’m another O.J. Simpson. Yes, I was wrong, but I didn’t kill anybody. I’m not a double murderer.”