Newz Forum: BASKETBALL: Haywood gets three-game suspension for fighting

NEW YORK -- Brendan Haywood of the Washington Wizards was suspended for three games by the NBA on Wednesday for fighting during a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls.

Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry of the Bulls received two-game suspensions, Washington's Larry Hughes drew a one-game suspension and Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich was handed a $10,000 fine.

"It's tough," Curry said of his suspension. "I wasn't expecting that. But there's nothing I can do about it."

The penalties were announced Wednesday by NBA vice president Stu Jackson, who found Haywood most at fault for the fight late in the third quarter of Chicago's 100-95 victory on Monday night.

Haywood, Davis and Curry were suspended for throwing punches, while Hughes was penalized for initiating the confrontation by head-butting Hinrich.

The suspensions take effect with the opening of the NBA regular season next week.

"We accept the ruling handed down by the league, however we do feel it's heavy-handed," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "We will have to step up and come together as we will be shorthanded for the first three games of the regular season."

Washington guard Gilbert Arenas has already been suspended by the NBA for one game because he failed to maintain proper registration of a handgun in 2003.

The Bulls were in Indianapolis on Wednesday night for a preseason game against the Pacers.

"We'll get through this game tonight and then figure out what we're going to do," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said.

The NBA also fined Boston guard Paul Pierce $15,000 for spitting in the direction of the Cavaliers' bench during Cleveland's 95-88 victory over the Celtics on Monday night.