Maggette Starts Two-Game Ban

Corey Maggette’s participation in Tuesday night’s altercation with Kenyon Martin will cost the Clipper forward two games and more than $170,000.

Both players were suspended two games without pay Wednesday after squaring off in the third quarter of the Nets’ 92-75 victory at East Rutherford, N.J. With an annual salary of $7 million, Maggette is paid about $85,300 a game.

Maggette, the Clippers’ leading scorer, flew home before Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers and will rejoin the club in time for Sunday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center.

The Clippers wrap up a three-game trip Friday at Toronto.

On Tuesday, they trailed the Nets by 26 points when Maggette, fouled hard by Martin as he drove to the basket, shoved the Net forward to the floor. Martin came up swinging, resulting in scratches on Maggette’s throat and neck.

Maggette, knowing he faced at least an automatic one-game suspension for fighting, apologized repeatedly to his teammates afterward.

Coach Mike Dunleavy, however, said Maggette’s contrition was unnecessary. And he called the length of the suspension excessive.

After Martin landed the first blow, Dunleavy said, Maggette had no choice but to retaliate. “He can’t not go back at Kenyon Martin,” the coach said. “As much as I don’t want to lose a player ... I couldn’t tell a guy to do something I wouldn’t do. If [Martin] fired on me like that, I probably would have done the same thing....

“I like to tell my guys to back away, and certainly you could if a guy throws a punch and he doesn’t hit you. But if he gets you [and you don’t respond], you’ve got every other guy in the league maybe looking to take a shot at you.”