Kings pummel Cavs in opener

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Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings

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Suspensions handed down for Fox and Christie

The Associated Press reports: Los Angeles Lakers forward Rick Fox was suspended six games by the NBA on Monday and Sacramento Kings guard Doug Christie was hit with a two-game ban as punishment for their two skirmishes in last Friday's preseason finale in Los Angeles.

The league, however, opted against additional fines or suspensions for the Lakers and Kings despite the involvement of numerous members from both teams.

"Our rule contemplates players leaving the bench for an altercation on the court. The fact that this altercation took place in the tunnel, in the hallway, was different in our minds," NBA vice president Stu Jackson said. "We felt, at the end of the day, the players should not be penalized for leaving the bench for an incident away from the court."

Fox and Christie did not receive fines on top of the suspensions but will take hits to their salaries. Fox will be allowed to attend the ring ceremony for the Lakers, but then must leave immediately.

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Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings

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Fox Apologizes, Not to Christie

Paul Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Times reports that Rick Fox apologized for attacking Doug Christie after both were ejected during Friday’s Lakers/Kings exhibition game. He apologized to his teammates and their fans, but not Christie or the Kings.

"It's not anything that I condone," Fox said of his actions in the melee. "I mean, I'm a father and a husband and I have kids that look up to me. It's disappointing that for that moment I fell into the tactics of their attempt to be brave six months later."

Fox then offered some speculation as to how the incident may have started.

"They came to win a championship in a preseason game. They should have thought about that a few months back, it's a little late to get brave now. [Christie] made some statements about being scared in Game 7 [of the Western Conference finals] so I'm sure he was embarrassed of those statements and I'm sure his teammates have questions about his ability to perform. So he shaves his head, comes out and has something to prove.

"It's just a situation where my emotions got hijacked and I regret responding the way I did."

The mele started on the court where Fox and Christie traded blows, Fox with an elbow and an open hand to the face, Christie with a fist to the chin. After both were ejected, Fox sprinted through a corridor to meet Christie in the hallway to the Kings’ locker room.

More punches were thrown as the entire Kings team and Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal arrived to attempt to break up the brawl. According to several witnesses, Christies’ wife was there as well. "I guess she thought he needed some help," Fox said.

Both teams will await the suspensions and fines likely to be announced ny the league today. Fox doesn’t know what would be a fair punishment. "What is fair depends upon what precedent they want to set," he said.

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Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings

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