Pacers’ Smits Is Suspended a Game for Throwing Elbow

Rik Smits’ errant elbow cost him a one-game suspension and perhaps cost the Indiana Pacers a chance for their first NBA championship.

The NBA on Friday suspended the 7-foot-4 center for tonight’s Game 3 of the best-of-five Eastern Conference series against the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Bucks routed the Pacers, 104-91, and tied the series at one game apiece Thursday night, when Smits was ejected for throwing an elbow at Ervin Johnson.

“I’m disappointed by it, but what are you going to do?,” Smits said after Friday’s practice. “I’m just going to try to come back the next game and play my butt off. I wanted to make an aggressive play, but the elbow got caught a little too high.”

Johnson was struck in the head by Smits’ elbow, although Thursday night he said it just grazed him. Smits gave the league his side of the incident on Friday, then found out about the suspension before practice.

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Coach Butch Carter has been blaming officials and contract problems for his Toronto Raptors’ two losses in New York. Now his players are blaming him.

“One thing you don’t do is take the focus away from what the real objective is, and that’s to win games,” guard Dee Brown said. “If you bring the outside stuff to the team you’re going to have splinters.”

On Thursday, Carter blamed contract issues for his team’s 2-0 playoff deficit against the New York Knicks. The teams play again Sunday in Toronto.

“The biggest advantage the Knicks have over us is that their top eight guys are all under contract and focused on winning,” Carter said. “Winning is the only thing they think about. It’s not the case here.”

Guard Doug Christie was angered by Carter’s comments.

“You say dumb stuff when you’re in a position where you can’t point the finger at anybody else,” Christie said.

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Seattle SuperSonic owner Barry Ackerley underwent an unspecified cardiac procedure at a Seattle-area hospital on Friday.

Ackerley, 65, had two heart attacks in 1991 and underwent quintuple bypass surgery, said a source within Ackerley’s company who asked not to be identified.

His condition is not life-threatening, the source said, refusing to provide any more information on the procedure.

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Detroit Piston forward Grant Hill underwent successful surgery, two days after he was diagnosed with a broken left ankle. Hill had a pin inserted into the ankle at the Cleveland Clinic. He will be in a cast for four weeks and the Pistons said he is expected to fully recover in time for next season.

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Tim Duncan as San Antonio’s sixth man?

As Duncan inches closer to returning to the court, that’s one possibility Spur Coach Gregg Popovich is considering.

Duncan has missed the Spurs’ last six games because of torn cartilage in his left knee.

San Antonio’s bench is already thin. Forward Jerome Kersey had surgery to correct the dislocation of his right foot he suffered in Game 2 and is out for the season.

The Spurs and Suns are tied, 1-1. Game 3 is scheduled for today.