Thomas Is Ordered to Stay Clear of Wife

New York Knick center Kurt Thomas was ordered to stay away from his wife and home at his arraignment Tuesday on charges he assaulted her during an argument over a laptop computer.

Thomas did not enter a plea to charges of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and risk of injury to a minor, a felony.

Police say Thomas, 6 feet 9 and 235 pounds, assaulted his wife, Amber, while she was holding the couple’s child. Kurt Thomas’ lawyer denied the accusation.

“During the argument he grabbed her around the neck and pulled on her arm while she held their 2-year-old daughter,” police in Greenwich, Conn., said in a statement. “She refused medical treatment.”

The girl was not injured, police said. Two other children Amber Thomas has from a previous marriage were not home at the time, said her lawyer, Gary Cohen.

The protective order prevents Thomas from entering the couple’s home in Greenwich, where the alleged assault took place Monday, or having any contact with his wife. He will be allowed to go home one more time with a police escort to get his belongings.

Lawyers said the couple is getting a divorce after about two years of marriage. Thomas declined to comment after the arraignment.

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Knick forward Latrell Sprewell had surgery to repair a displaced fracture below his right pinkie. He will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

Team President Scott Layden refused to discuss details of how Sprewell was injured.

“He told us he banged his hand two weeks ago. The focus now is to get him healthy and back with the team,” Layden said.

Sprewell arrived at the Knicks’ practice facility Monday with a swollen right hand and complained that it hurt. X-rays revealed a broken bone.

The team refused to make Sprewell available to the media Monday, the team’s media day, and neither Layden nor Coach Don Chaney offered any details.

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It took a while, but Gary Payton finally made an appearance as the Seattle SuperSonics opened training camp.

Payton didn’t attend a morning workout, but he arrived about 30 minutes after the start of the evening practice. He did not immediately speak with reporters.

Payton had skipped Monday’s media day, and Coach Nate McMillan said Payton would be fined for missing that and Tuesday morning’s practice.

“It’s an unexcused absence,” said McMillan, who wouldn’t disclose the amount of the fine.

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Boston Celtic forward Vin Baker sprained his left pinkie on the first day of practice, but he was not expected to miss any workouts.... Rodney White was traded by the Detroit Pistons to the Denver Nuggets for a conditional first-round draft choice, forward Don Reid and center Mengke Bateer.