Rider Suspended One Game
Portland Trail Blazers guard Isaiah Rider was suspended for Friday night's game for kneeing and shoving Sacramento's Jon Barry in Thursday night's victory over the Kings.
The suspension was announced Friday by NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Rod Thorn. Rider was forced to miss Friday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The suspension cost him more than $29,000 in salary. Rider also was fined $7,500 for the incident, which occurred in the second quarter of the Blazers' 88-78 victory.
Barry had fallen on the floor, and Rider walked by and kneed him in the head. Barry jumped up and ran over to Rider, waving a finger in his face and exchanging words. Rider then shoved a forearm in Barry's face, and players had to separate them.
Rider was assessed a technical foul, but was not ejected. He later scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Blazers pull away.
Rider said later that the bad blood between the two that began last year when Barry, then with the Los Angeles Lakers, was taunting Rider from the bench during the playoffs.
Rider did not start the game because he was late for the team shootaround. He also was suspended earlier this season for one game and fined $2,500 for leaving the bench during an altercation at Charlotte on Feb. 26.
Rider was suspended for seven games last season, including three games by the league for spitting at a heckler in Detroit and one game by the Blazers for walking out on the team during a victory over the Lakers.
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