Newsmakers
Suspended Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended two games without pay by the NBA for throwing a ball at an official during a game Sunday. Stu Jackson, the NBA’s executive vice president for basketball operations, announced the suspension one day after Rondo received two technical fouls and was ejected late in the third quarter of Boston’s 96-81 loss at the Detroit Pistons. Rondo was upset that a foul wasn’t called with about 3:00 left in the quarter and tossed the ball at referee Sean Wright. He followed that with a verbal barrage directed at Wright and was ejected from a game for the first time in his pro career.
Signed The Chiefs agreed to terms on a $19.6 million, three-year deal with cornerback Stanford Routt, which should help Kansas City absorb the potential loss of Brandon Carr. The deal includes a $4 million signing bonus and $6 million the first season, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press. Routt is still owed $5 million next month from the Raiders, who released him after the first year of a $54.4 million, five-year deal. The $11 million Routt will make in 2012 puts him among the three highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL.
Reprimanded The Atlantic Coast Conference has publicly reprimanded official Karl Hess for failing to follow procedure that included first trying to defuse the situation before ejecting two former North Carolina State stars from the stands during a weekend game in Greensboro, N.C. The league said it had conducted a “thorough review” of the events leading up to Hess’ ejections of former Wolfpack stars Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta from seats behind the scorer’s table during Saturday’s loss to Florida State. The reprimand doesn’t reveal a reason why Hess ejected Corchiani and Gugliotta.
Announced Alabama coach Anthony Grant suspended junior forward Tony Mitchell for the rest of the basketball season but cleared senior JaMychal Green to return to practice. Mitchell has been out the last four games – the Crimson Tide is 1-3 in that stretch – while Green has been suspended the past three. Guards Andrew Steele and Trevor Releford were suspended at the same time as Green but only missed the LSU game. Grant didn’t elaborate on his decisions or a timeline for Green to return in a brief statement released by Alabama, and hasn’t said what the two players did wrong.
Out San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is expected to miss two weeks with a strained left oblique. Ginobili was hurt during the second half of San Antonio’s 103-100 victory at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. He was playing in just his fourth game since missing 22 with a broken left hand.