Rodman Strikes Again--It Costs Him One Game

Dennis Rodman, banished for 11 games less than a month ago, was suspended Tuesday for the third time this season, a one-game ban for “deliberately striking” Milwaukee’s Joe Wolf in the groin.

It is Rodman’s fourth suspension--totaling 20 games--since joining the Chicago Bulls before last season.

The NBA said the flamboyant forward will miss tonight’s home game against San Antonio and will be fined $7,500.

“We understand why the league did it. We also understand that Dennis goes 100% every game and gives all he has,” Bull General Manager Jerry Krause said Tuesday. “He’s just going to have to control himself in a better way.”

When Rodman returned from his 11-game suspension after the All-Star break, a penalty assessed for kicking a courtside cameraman, NBA Commissioner David Stern said further violations could result in a lifetime ban from the league.

However, a league source said Tuesday that Stern considered the warning to be based on off-court incidents. This was strictly a game-related matter, and the source said Stern did not intend to get involved in this case.

The latest suspension stems from Chicago’s 108-90 victory on Monday night in which Rodman elbowed Wolf in the groin with 2:10 left in the third quarter.

“The league thinks the hit below the belt was not an accident, the league thinks it was deliberate,” Krause said. “And that’s something that happened. There was contact below the belt and that’s not supposed to happen.”

Rodman followed with an errant punch toward Wolf’s head. On the next possession, Wolf got Rodman in a headlock, and officials called a double foul--but no technical. Rodman was then removed from the game by Coach Phil Jackson.

The league took no action against Wolf.

In December, Rodman was suspended by the Bulls for two games for a profanity-filled tirade on live TV.

The 11-game suspension was the second longest in NBA history and resulted in a $200,000 out-of-court settlement by Rodman and the cameraman. It cost Rodman about $1 million in salary and incentives.

Last season Rodman drew a six-game suspension for head-butting a referee.

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* RODMAN STRIKES AGAIN

Chicago Bull forward Dennis Rodman received a one-game suspension for new incident.