Peeler Suspended for Two Games; Garnett Is Fined

Sacramento guard Anthony Peeler was suspended for two games Monday for elbowing the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett, meaning the King guard will miss Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Peeler was suspended without pay by the NBA.

Peeler hit Garnett in the midsection with 31.2 seconds left in the third quarter of Sunday’s Game 6. Peeler elbowed the league most valuable player in the head with 13.5 seconds remaining in the period and was ejected.

“The last guy who makes the blow is always the one who gets suspended,” Peeler said Sunday.

The Kings beat the Timberwolves, 104-87, and forced a deciding game on Wednesday. Rodney Buford, who played one minute in the first five games, scored seven points in the fourth quarter Sunday and will be counted on again to give Sacramento a boost in Game 7.

“I’m going to stay ready. [Coach] Rick Adelman knows it,” Buford said at practice Monday. The players had left the Kings’ practice facility by the time the suspension was announced.

Buford said Peeler was in good spirits during practice even though he expected a suspension was coming.

“He’s A.P. -- he’s always upbeat,” Buford said. “He acted like nothing happened. It’s just playoff basketball.”

Garnett was fined $7,500 for hitting Peeler in the chest with an elbow.

Peeler will serve the first game of his suspension Wednesday. He will then miss either Game 1 of the Western Conference finals or the first game of the 2004-05 season.

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The Miami Heat feels as if it has faced elimination all season -- and averted it every time.

The Miami players expect to do it again tonight.

The Heat trails, 3-2, in its best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers. Game 6 is in Miami, where the Heat has won 18 consecutive games.

Dwyane Wade and Malik Allen guaranteed that the series would return to Indiana for a deciding game.

Why such a promise?

“This is where we’ve been all year, with a lot of people doubting us,” Wade said. “We believe we can win.”

Especially at home, where the Heat is more efficient on offense, more stifling on defense and plays with more energy and intensity.

The result has been one of the league’s best home-court advantages. The Heat hasn’t lost at AmericanAirlines Arena since March 2.

“Everyone wants to go down and win there,” Pacer forward Al Harrington said. “I think it would be a nice place to end it, stop their streak down there. That’s the type of team we are: we like to ruin stuff for people.”

While the Heat must win to extend the series, the Pacers could lose and return home for Game 7. But that’s not a scenario they want to think about.

After all, the pressure then would shift from the young Heat to the team with the NBA’s best record in the regular season.

“You don’t want to put that pressure on your back,” said Pacer forward Jermaine O’Neal, who has scored 88 points in the last three games. “Those guys have nothing to lose. Everybody kind of counted those guys out from the start. If we don’t go out and match the energy and play the way we’re supposed to play, we’re vulnerable to lose. But I don’t see that being a problem.”

The Heat has been counted out before. Miami lost its first seven games, prompting many to question team President Pat Riley’s decision to hand his coaching duties over to Stan Van Gundy.

“This group has nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Lamar Odom said. “It’s a great position to be in. Even though we’re down, we’re at home and we have our fans behind us.”