The NBA suspended Steve Nash and Matt Barnes of the Suns and Rafer Alston of the Rockets yesterday. Alston and Barnes were suspended for two games without pay and Nash for one for their roles in an on-court brawl. The league also fined Shaquille O’Neal $35,000 and Tracy McGrady $25,000 for their actions during the Rockets’ 94-82 win in Phoenix on Wednesday.

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Suns guard Leandro Barbosa returned to Brazil after his mother died.

He flew to his hometown of Sao Paulo late Thursday after learning of the death of his mother, Ivete Barbosa. Team officials are not sure when Barbosa will return.

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In an interview with the Sacramento Bee, O’Neal blamed coach Phil Jackson for his infamous feud with Kobe Bryant in L.A.

“I think it was all designed by Phil,” O’Neal said. “Because if you think about it, Phil never called us into the office and said, ‘Both of you all, shut the [heck] up.’ Never did that in four years.”