Nelson, Malone Punished

Dallas Coach Don Nelson was suspended one game and fined $10,000 for bumping a referee and starting a confrontation with Utah forward Karl Malone during Thursday’s game, the NBA announced Friday.

The NBA also fined Malone $10,000 for throwing an elbow at Maverick center Shawn Bradley and for engaging in the confrontation with Nelson, which occurred after the Dallas coach had been ejected after receiving his second technical foul.

Nelson called Malone’s style “dirty.”

For his part, Malone said: “You get kicked out, you leave. You don’t go pick an argument with a player.”

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Seattle put guard Vernon Maxwell on the injured list and activated guard Shammond Williams. Maxwell underwent surgery on his right knee to repair cartilage damage, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. . . . Injured New Jersey center Jayson Williams said he will be back sooner than the six- to eight-week timetable doctors have given him. He has been out since breaking his leg late last season. . . . Guard Kiwane Garris, waived earlier this week by the Orlando Magic, was re-signed to a 10-day contract.

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Former Houston guard Matt Maloney, 28, signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls. . . . Minnesota activated guard Bobby Jackson, out seven games because of a bruised and strained right knee, returned forward Andrae Patterson to the injured list and signed center Eric Riley to a 10-day contract. . . . The Utah Jazz waived small forward Pete Chilcutt and replaced him with Armen Gilliam.

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Rookie Leon Smith, 19, under suspension by the Dallas Mavericks and likely to soon become a free agent, checked out of a Dallas-area psychiatric ward and moved to Houston to begin workouts with former NBA star Moses Malone.