NBA suspends Nowitzki

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was suspended without pay for one game by the NBA on Wednesday after his hard foul on Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko in Monday’s loss was upgraded from a flagrant-one to a flagrant-two.

Nowitzki will sit tonight against Houston.

Forward Chris Andersen, reinstated by the NBA after a two-year suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, agreed to a contract to return to the New Orleans Hornets. . . . The Chicago Bulls suspended forward Tyrus Thomas for two games for missing practice. . . . Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace, who hasn’t played since Feb. 22 because of his fourth concussion in four years, could return Wednesday at Dallas, the team said. . . . Oklahoma City passed a one-cent sales tax extension that will create $121 million to upgrade the Ford Center and build a practice facility for an NBA team. . . . Retired Phoenix Sun Kevin Johnson announced his run for mayor of Sacramento in June.