Portland Trail Blazers star guard CJ McCollum has been suspended for Portland's regular-season opener after he left the bench area during an altercation in Wednesday's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.
The NBA announced the one-game ban Saturday, saying McCollum will be suspended without pay for the first game "which he is eligible and physically able to play."
McCollum left the Blazers' bench area in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game when Portland's Caleb Swanigan and Phoenix's Alex Len got into a shoving match with 9:33 remaining. Both Swanigan and Len were ejected.
McCollum told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski in a text message: "I've been in the league way too long to have a mental lapse like that. I want to apologize to my teammates and the organization for putting our team in this situation. The Western Conference is already tough enough as it is. It won't happen again. Lesson learned. I take full responsibility for those eight expensive and costly steps."
Portland opens its regular season next Wednesday night at Phoenix.
McCollum, 26, averaged a career-best 23 points per game last season, his fourth with the Blazers.
