Jordan Admits He Deserved Ejection -- But He Thinks Suspension Was Unjustified

CHICAGO - Michael Jordan, unhappy over his one-game suspension for fighting but admitting he would have deserved getting ejected, said last night that he was anxious to get back into action.

Jordan was fined $10,000 and lost one game's pay of $48,480 because of the suspension levied by the NBA for his altercation with Reggie Miller of the Indianapolis Pacers on Wednesday night.

Jordan was suspended for landing a punch but remained in the game. Miller was ejected.

Jordan said, before playing in last night's game against Cleveland, that talk of a double standard applying to him did not take the situation into account.

"I knew I should have been ejected, but the ref said he didn't see it," he said. "I don't think I should have been suspended because the ref didn't see it. I would have been better off if I were kicked out of the game."

Jordan said he knew he would get fined, but was not pleased over the suspension.

"What am I supposed to do? Tell the referee to throw me out? That's like turning yourself in for robbery. It was a bad day for me, I lost control of my emotions."

Parish's `stupid mistake' -- SAN ANTONIO - Boston Celtics center Robert Parish, charged with possession of marijuana, apologized, saying, "I have made a stupid mistake which I can guarantee will never happen again."

Parish didn't admit guilt when he spoke with reporters at the team's shootaround at HemisFair Arena before playing the San Antonio

Spurs, but he promised to cooperate with authorities.

"I realize I have let many people down and I want to apologize to everyone, especially my teammates, the Celtics organization, the NBA and the fans who have been so supportive of me over the years," he said.

Grievance filed in sex case -- PORTLAND - The NBA Players Association filed a grievance on behalf of two Portland Trail Blazers who were fined and suspended for three games without pay by the team as a result of a teenage sex scandal in Utah.

"I think to some degree the team has decided they would be judge and jury and find these players guilty even though they were cleared of any illegal activity," said Charles Grantham, executive director of the players association.

Notes

-- Guard Drazen Petrovic has turned down the latest contract offer from the New Jersey Nets - believed to be a five-year deal worth between $3 million and $4 million - and has told the club he will wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to stay in the NBA or return to playing in Europe. Petrovic, 28 and in his fourth season in the NBA, leads the Nets in scoring at 23 points per game. -- The Indiana Pacers placed forward LaSalle Thompson on the injured reserve list with tendinitis in his left knee. Thompson has sat out the last two games. The team activated forward Kenny Williams for today's game in Milwaukee. -- The Dallas Mavericks were without Derek Harper, their best scorer and top rebounder, for last night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Harper suffered a strained right hamstring during Friday night's 109-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and is expected to miss next week's two-game road trip to New York and Cleveland.