Police Zero In on Chair-Thrower

The Auburn Hills, Mich., police department knows the identity of the man who threw a chair that struck several fans during the brawl at the end of the game Nov. 19 involving the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, Lt. James Manning said Monday.

The suspect, whose name was not released, is a 35-year-old Piston season-ticket holder. He has not talked with police, but his attorney, Kenneth Karasick, has met with detectives and reportedly confirmed that his client threw the chair. Manning said police did not expect an arrest until formal charges were filed by the Oakland County prosecutor.

Prosecutor David Gorcyca said last week that the man could be charged with felony assault. No one has been charged in the case to date.

“It is possible that we will be forwarding our investigation to the prosecutor’s office by the beginning of next week,” Manning said.

Telephone calls to Karasick’s office were not returned.

The Pacers, meanwhile, have informed police through an attorney that their players will not participate in interviews with detectives, Manning said.

The fight began when the Pacers’ Ron Artest went into the stands after being hit by a cup of liquid. It resulted in lengthy suspensions for Artest, 73 games, and teammates Stephen Jackson, 30 games, and Jermaine O’Neal, 25 games. The National Basketball Assn. Players’ Assn. says the discipline is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and has asked that the case go to an arbitrator.

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Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko could be sidelined up to a month because of a sprained right knee ligament and is expected to be put on the injured list today, ESPN.com reported.

Kirilenko, averaging 14.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots, was injured Saturday when San Antonio Spur guard Beno Udrih fell backward into Kirilenko’s knee.

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New Orleans Hornet center Jamaal Magloire will be sidelined up to three months because of a dislocated right ring finger.

Magloire, who will not need surgery, was injured in the Hornets’ loss at Phoenix on Friday. The team said Magloire’s finger would be in a splint for eight weeks and then he would rehabilitate it for four weeks.

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Denver Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony sat out Monday’s game against the Hornets because of an ankle sprain and is questionable for Thursday’s game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN.com reported. Anthony was injured Saturday against Houston.

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Dallas Maverick Coach Don Nelson will step aside for tonight’s game against San Antonio and let top assistant Avery Johnson run the team.

Nelson will still be on the bench but will leave it to Johnson to make decisions. Nelson would like Johnson to be his eventual successor, and planned to let him coach five or six games this season.

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Boston Celtic rookie guard Delonte West, who had played only two games because of a broken thumb, is sidelined indefinitely after breaking his right hand in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Heat.