Wallace Is Allowed to Play

Rasheed Wallace was cleared to play for the Detroit Pistons by the NBA on Saturday, one day after being pulled from a game because paperwork from a three-team trade had not been certified.

Wallace and Mike James, acquired in a three-way trade Thursday, were pulled at halftime of Friday’s 88-87 loss to Minnesota and were not permitted to practice Saturday.

The holdup was the result of issues with the paperwork for two of the players involved in the deal, Lindsey Hunter and Chris Mills.

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A man who attacked the Orlando Magic’s mascot was arrested Saturday on suspicion of battery, disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence.

William Jeffrey Hawkins, 39, put Stuff the Magic Dragon in a chokehold Friday in the waning moments of the Magic’s 102-98 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Police were alerted, and it took three stun gun shots to get the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Hawkins under control, Orlando police Lt. John O’Grady said. He added Hawkins told authorities he could not remember what happened.

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The Toronto Raptors suspended disgruntled forward Lamond Murray for today’s game against Sacramento, one day after he criticized Coach Kevin O’Neill.

In a statement released Saturday, the Raptors said Murray was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. Murray ripped O’Neill after playing only six minutes in Toronto’s 91-72 loss to the New Jersey Nets on Friday night.