Garnett suspended for skirmish

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett was suspended one game by the NBA on Sunday for throwing a punch at Detroit’s Antonio McDyess.

Garnett, who leads Minnesota in scoring at 22.2 points and rebounding at 12.8, didn’t play in Sunday’s 131-102 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

With 5:18 left in the fourth quarter of the Pistons’ double-overtime victory over the Timberwolves on Friday night, McDyess knocked Minnesota’s Mark Madsen to the floor with a forearm shove.

Garnett then chucked the ball at McDyess, who charged at Garnett with his fist cocked. Garnett was poised to punch too and took a swipe at McDyess as he retreated.

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New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle today.

The team gave no timetable for his return.

Jefferson had been bothered by ankle pain since before the start of the season, and left a game against Miami on Nov. 10 after landing on the foot of Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal. He has missed six of New Jersey’s 40 games and is averaging 16 points.

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On the eve of his return from a 15-game suspension for fighting, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony issued an open letter apologizing to the team and its fans for his role in a Dec. 16 brawl with the New York Knicks.

Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer who will return tonight against Memphis, wrote that he is expected to “lead by example” and “be a professional.”

“It has been very tough watching the team play without me, knowing that my mistake has made it very difficult for my teammates, the franchise and the fans,” Anthony wrote. “I’ve spent the time working extremely hard, and I plan to come back better than ever.

“I’ve also spent time thinking about the huge responsibilities I have as the captain of the Denver Nuggets, the captain of Team USA, a face of the NBA, and a role model to young people. I’m aware that a great deal is expected of me, and not just as a player.”

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Miami Heat rookie guard Robert Hite was charged with driving under the influence early Sunday, and missed Miami’s game against Dallas.

According to a Miami Beach Police report, an officer detected a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath” after the player was stopped for speeding. Hite was processed and released on a $1,000 bond.