Hill rests sore ankle Tuesday against Bulls

Chicago – Grant Hill sat out Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, giving his left ankle a rest after playing three games in four nights.

“It was just sore this morning, sore now,” Hill said as he soaked his aching ankle in a tub of ice water. “I’m just listening to it when it talks.”

The Orlando Magic’s All-Star forward has missed most of the past two seasons because of ankle problems. He’s had three operations on it, and still has three screws in the bone.

This was the fourth game this year Hill missed. Magic forward Horace Grant also sat out Tuesday’s game with back spasms and a sore left knee.

Najera on injured list, Nowitzki hobbled too

Dallas – The Dallas Mavericks placed forward Eduardo Najera on the injured list and replaced him with guard Adam Harrington before Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Najera underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Dec. 6 and will be out for six-to-eight weeks. Najera is averaging 8.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 15 games this season.

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki and Los Angeles guard Eric Piatkowski were both injured in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game.

Nowitzki, Dallas’ top scorer (22.5) and rebounder (11.1), left with 2:58 remaining in the first quarter because of a sprained right ankle.

Teammate Popeye Jones had drawn an offensive foul from Quentin Richardson, and as Jones fell to the floor, he rolled onto Nowitzki’s right leg.

Piatkowski left the game with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter with a pulled left groin.

Raptors’ Carter out two weeks

Toronto – Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors will miss two weeks with a strained right knee after colliding with a teammate during practice on Tuesday.

Carter missed 10 games earlier this season because of an injured left knee. The latest injury was diagnosed as a mild strain of his patella tendon.

Forward Antonio Davis also didn’t make the trip to Cleveland for today’s game because of a swollen right knee.

Battie earns suspension for kicking basketball

New York – Celtics forward Tony Battie was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Tuesday for kicking a basketball that hit a referee.

He will miss Boston’s next game on today against Phoenix.

Battie kicked the ball during the third period of Boston’s 114-109 victory against Orlando on Monday night.

He was ejected after the ball struck official Mark Wunderlich.