Pistons' guard gets drugs ban

Last updated at 14:16 08 March 2007

Detroit Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter has been suspended for ten games without pay by the NBA after failing a drugs test.

And his absence hurt his team last night as they crashed to a 101-97 overtime defeat against a Cleveland Cavaliers side inspired by a season-high 41 points from LeBron James.

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Hunter tested positive for phentermine, a banned substance primarily used for weight loss, and will lose more than £100,000 in wages.

"I'm as shocked as anyone," Hunter said last night. "It was a diet pill - we've all taken stuff and nothing ever happens."

Hunter added that the pill was prescribed for his wife Ivy and said: "We do that at our house -- if I've got a head cold, I might grab one of her pills. It was just a bonehead mistake on my part."

Phentermine is listed as a steroid or performance-enhancing drug under the league's anti-drug programme and brings an automatic ten-game penalty for a first positive test.

Hunter, who is 36 and in his 13th NBA season, is averaging 4.6 points, 1.4 assists and 14 minutes in 39 games as a key reserve for the Eastern Conference leaders.

"It's the league rule and I have to abide by it," he said. "I just hope people don't think I'm out smoking marijuana."

James was thrilled with the result and said: "It was a big win. We showed maturity in a hostile environment."

The Los Angeles Lakers were without Kobe Bryant after he was banned for one game for the second time this year after striking an opponent with a flailing arm.

The Lakers also suffered, going down 110-90 to the Milwaukee Bucks as Charlie Villanueva scored a season-high 26 points for the home side.

For a team that has had its own share of adversity and injury problems this season, it was nice to be the ones on the right end of a blowout for once.

"We've been hurting this season," Redd said. "Teams have been taking advantage of us."

Bryant was suspended by the NBA earlier in the day for striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric in the face during the Lakers' double-overtime loss on Tuesday.

Bryant's ban compounded existing injury problems for the Lakers, who dressed only nine players while losing their fourth straight game.

Lakers center Kwame Brown laughed when asked if Bryant would have made a difference. "What do you think?" he asked. "Three championships, of course he is going to make a difference."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn't thrilled with the idea of spending the night looking down a largely empty bench. "I was just looking down there for some help and there was nothing there," he said.

But Jackson wasn't ready to let what was left of his team make excuses. The Lakers held Redd in check after giving up 45 points to him earlier in the season but they couldn't stop anybody else.

"On a night when Redd has a shooting night like that, he doesn't even have to figure in the game for them and they can beat us by 20 points, it's embarrassing," Jackson said.