NBA suspends Wolves’ Beasley 12 games for felony gun threat

<p>MINNEAPOLIS &mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Malik Beasley has been suspended for 12 games without pay by the NBA for his <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-violence-minnesota-minneapolis-minnesota-timberwolves-e05f691ed5c2553cc7ef7accb8b87e1e">recent guilty plea</a> to a felony charge of threats of violence.</p>
<p>The league announced Thursday the punishment, which will begin with Minnesota’s game Saturday at Washington. Beasley is eligible to return March 27 against Houston.</p>
<p>Beasley, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging a career-best 20.5 points.</p>
<p>He was sentenced earlier this month to 120 days in jail for the Sept. 26 incident, when he pointed a rifle outside his home in suburban Minneapolis at a family on a house-hunting tour. Police later found weapons and marijuana in the home. </p>
<p>As part of Beasley’s plea deal, prosecutors dropped a felony fifth-degree drug possession charge. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said Beasley can serve his stay in the workhouse after his season is over; COVID-19 precautions could require the county to release him on electronic home monitoring for the duration of the sentence.</p>
<p>Speaking at his remote sentencing, he said, “I am not that person. I humbly apologize for my actions.”</p>
<p>Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, in a statement distributed by the team, said the organization fully supports the NBA’s decision</p>
<p>“As we work together with Malik to advance his development as a player and a person, we look forward to seeing his growth,” Rosas said.</p>
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