Robinson Suspended Five Games for Drug Offense

Clifford Robinson of the Golden State Warriors was suspended for five games without pay Tuesday for violating the NBA’s drug policy.

Robinson’s suspension begins with tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings.

A 16-year veteran, Robinson, 38, has averaged 8.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 40 games this season.

Robinson was limited to five minutes in a 96-85 loss to the Clippers on Saturday night.

He had missed the previous four games because of back problems. He is eligible to return Feb. 11 against New Orleans.

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The Kings exercised their one-year option on Coach Rick Adelman, keeping him under contract through next season.

Even though Adelman has taken the Kings to the playoffs every year since coming to Sacramento, owners Joe and Gavin Maloof waited to see how the team started this season before deciding whether to pick up his option for 2005-06.

A solid start (30-14) despite several injuries was enough to earn Adelman another year. Sacramento trails Phoenix by 4 1/2 games in the Pacific Division.

Adelman is 331-172 in seven years in Sacramento and is the winningest coach in franchise history.

He led the Kings to the seventh game of the Western Conference finals in 2002 before losing to the Lakers in overtime, but Sacramento has been knocked out in the second round the last two seasons.

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Former UCLA forward Jerome Moiso, who has played for Toronto and New Jersey this season, was signed to a 10-day contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... New Jersey Net guard Rodney Buford will be sidelined at least a month because of torn ligaments in his left ankle. Buford, injured Saturday against Utah, had recently become a starter after Richard Jefferson was sidelined because of what is expected to be a season-ending wrist injury. ... Charges against former NBA star Bernard King for allegedly hitting his wife were dropped in New York after a prosecutor said King’s wife did not want to proceed. King, 47, was arrested Oct. 23 in a Manhattan hotel.