INQUIRER Sports

NEW YORK -- Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin was suspended for a game Thursday by the National Basketball Association for accumulated flagrant fouls after a blow to the face of Frenchman Boris Diaw.

Martin was whistled for his latest severe foul Tuesday when he struck Phoenix standout Diaw in the face 8:08 into the third quarter of Denver's 126-120 victory over the Suns.

Martin will miss Saturday's Denver home game against Sacramento for violating rules that require an automatic suspension for accumulating too many severe fouls and for each subsequent severe foul thereafter.

The Nuggets are 46-29, holding the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

But Denver's record is only a half-game ahead of Golden State and a half-game behind Dallas in a three-team fight for the final two West playoff spots.