NBA suspends Lakers' World Peace

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Lakers forward Metta World Peace was suspended seven games by the NBA Tuesday for throwing a vicious elbow at Oklahoma City's James Harden, meaning the Los Angeles starter likely will miss six playoff games.

World Peace was ejected from Sunday's game against the Thunder for striking Harden in the head, giving him a concussion. World Peace claimed the contact was an accidental, overzealous celebration of a dunk.

World Peace will miss the Lakers' season finale Thursday at Sacramento and the next six games for which he is eligible. The playoffs open Saturday, and Los Angeles is likely to be the West's third seed.

Commissioner David Stern alluded to the former Ron Artest's history of on-court altercations in announcing the penalty.

"The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area," Stern said in a statement. "We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations."

The suspension is Artest's third career ban of at least seven games. He got an 86-game suspension in 2004 for jumping into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit suburbs to fight fans, and he served a seven-game suspension in 2007 for his no-contest plea on a domestic violence charge.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the team "accepted" the suspension.

"His most recent lapse in judgment is not to be condoned or accepted," Kupchak said.

World Peace didn't speak to the media after the Lakers' practice Tuesday, heading to the locker room at the moment media members entered the gym at the Lakers' training complex. But Kobe Bryant acknowledged the obvious problem for the Lakers, who lose a starter and their defensive stopper right before the postseason.

"I saw what you guys saw," Bryant said before the suspension was announced. "It's hard to get into a guy's head and know exactly what happened in that situation. I haven't really spoken to him about it. You've really got to ask him."

Harden appears to be doing better, but still hasn't been cleared to return for the Thunder, who might have rested players anyway in their final two games while locked into the No. 2 seed in the West.