Lakers C Bynum won't be suspended for elbow

Jan 29, 2009 - 11:24 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will not be suspended for his elbow against Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace, the NBA announced Thursday.

Wallace suffered a cracked rib and partially collapsed lung when he was elbowed in the rib cage by Bynum during a fourth-quarter collision in Tuesday's 117-110 double-overtime victory over the Lakers.

Bynum told the Los Angeles Daily News on Thursday that the contact was inadvertent.

"I didn't try to hurt him," Bynum said. "His momentum was great, and if you look at the play, once he hit me I kind of spun around because I didn't know he was coming that fast."

Bynum's foul has been upgraded from a Flagrant-1 to the more serious Flagrant-2 violation, but the league said he will face no further discipline.

Charlotte coach Larry Brown concurred with the league's decision that a suspension was not warranted.

"That kid waited at our bus, trying to get to Gerald, and he apologized to me," Brown told the Charlotte Observer. "If he had a history of that (rough play), I might feel different, but I just think it was a hard foul."

Wallace remained in a Los Angeles hospital Thursday and could be sidelined for several weeks.

"I don't expect him back anytime soon," Brown added.

Bynum said he left a message on Wallace's cell phone but has not heard back from the player.