Hornets’ Game Postponed

With their teammate dead and their point guard too distraught to grieve with them, the Charlotte Hornets convinced the NBA to postpone tonight’s game against the New York Knicks.

Players, coaches and support personnel spent several hours at the Hornets’ suburban training complex in Fort Mill, S.C., meeting with counselors and discussing a memorial service and funeral arrangements for their late co-captain, Bobby Phills.

Late in the day, the league announced tonight’s postponement.

“Rod Thorn and I spoke with [Hornet center] Elden Campbell a number of times today, and late this evening he advised us it would be extremely difficult to play so soon after the memorial service. As a result, we have decided to postpone [tonight’s] game,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said.

The Hornets will resume playing Saturday night at New York before traveling to Louisiana on Sunday for Phills’ funeral.

The only person missing from Thursday’s team gathering was point guard David Wesley, Phills’ close friend and the person police say was racing his teammate Wednesday when Phills lost control and collided with an oncoming car.

Later in the day, club officials told the Associated Press that the team had reached Wesley and sent a counselor to meet with him.

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The Houston Rockets activated center Hakeem Olajuwon, but the 15-year veteran wasn’t expected to rejoin the team immediately despite the Rockets’ lack of depth at his position. Olajuwon has sat out 20 games since he underwent hernia surgery on Dec. 1. . . . The Toronto Raptors signed forward Antonio Lang to a 10-day contract. . . . Forward Ryan Stack of the Cleveland Cavaliers, hospitalized overnight in Portland after collapsing from dehydration before Wednesday night’s game against the Trail Blazers, will return to Cleveland to be checked out.