Phoenix Sun center William Bedford and another...

Phoenix Sun center William Bedford and another motorist were involved in an altercation that did not end until a third driver threatened Bedford with a handgun, Phoenix police said.

Sgt. Brad Thiss said Bedford was issued a citation for the incident on Thursday afternoon, but it was withdrawn after police listened to Bedford’s side of the story.

Bedford, a 7-foot 1-inch rookie center and the team’s No. 1 draft choice last June, missed Thursday night’s game in Phoenix between the Suns and the Denver Nuggets. Sun Coach John MacLeod said Bedford was withheld from the game because of tendinitis in his left knee.

Thiss, who declined to release the names of the other two motorists, said Bedford was driving his Mercedes-Benz north toward a shopping mall when another motorist, driving a Ford Maverick, apparently decided Bedford had cut off his access to a lane.

Both men began shouting, and the shouting led to a fistfight, Thiss said.

A man who declined to give his name told the Arizona Republic that the 235-pound Bedford began flailing away at the other man, about 5-8 and 140 pounds. The third motorist then stepped out of his car and pointed a handgun at Bedford, the newspaper’s source said.