Anthony ‘sorry’ as police accused

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday he was “truly sorry” for his arrest on DUI charges, and police denied giving him special treatment, even though one officer gave him a lift after his arrest and another drove his car to a city lot.

“I’m here to man up to my mistake, just to let you know that I’m truly sorry for what happened and everything that’s going on,” Anthony, 23, said in Denver with teammate Allen Iverson by his side. “What happened Monday morning was truly and totally unacceptable.”

Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said it’s “not a standard practice [for an officer to give a DUI suspect a ride], but it is done on occasion and it is not a violation of department policy.”

Det. Sharon Hahn said officers also have the discretion to have suspects’ cars towed to an impound lot, let a friend or relative move it or move it themselves.

Nuggets Coach George Karl says he thinks Anthony’s apology is sincere, adding, “I was raised on two words – respect and responsibility. You did hear those words today.”

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Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire asked the NBA to delay its Friday vote on whether the Seattle SuperSonics can move to Oklahoma City.

In a letter to NBA Commissioner David Stern and team owners, Gregoire said the SuperSonics’ Oklahoma City owners apparently weren’t acting in good faith while trying to get an arena deal in Seattle.

That refers to recently disclosed e-mails that showed team owners discussing whether they could leave Seattle before a good-faith deadline.

The letter comes as an attorney for former SuperSonics owner Howard Schultz said he was preparing a lawsuit against the group in an attempt to regain the franchise, also arguing they breached the “good-faith effort” condition.

Schultz, who sold the team to the group led by Clay Bennett for $350 million in July 2006, does not seek monetary damages in his lawsuit but wants the team back, said his attorney.

A June trial is also set on Seattle’s lawsuit to enforce its lease and keep the team at KeyArena through 2010.

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Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Sasha Pavlovic will miss at least the first round of the playoffs because of a sprained left ankle suffered Monday against Philadelphia.