MCMILLAN HURT AGAIN: Nate McMillan's return to the Seattle SuperSonics has been cut short by the same injury that sidelined him weeks ago.
After an 18-game absence due to a pulled right groin muscle, McMillan was back in the Sonics lineup Thursday night in Milwaukee. He played 19 minutes before being hurt in a collision with Bucks guard Elliott Perry during a baseline scramble for a loose ball with 9:26 left in the game. He came out of the game 17 seconds later, apparently reinjuring the same muscle.WINGFIELD ON INJURED LIST: Forward Dontonio Wingfield was placed on the injured list with a sprained thumb, the Portland Trail Blazers said Friday.
To replace Wingfield on the roster, the Blazers activated Mitchell Butler from the injured list. Butler had been out since Dec. 3 with tendinitis in both knees.
KU'S SIMMONS TO TRANSFER: Forward Oliver Simmons, concerned about his future playing time, is transferring from No. 3 Kentucky.
Simmons, a 6-foot-8, 218-pound sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., has been out of action since breaking his right foot on Nov. 22. He played only four minutes in Kentucky's opener against Clemson on Nov. 15 and did not score. He didn't say where he was transferring.
HODGES FIRED: Former Chicago Bulls guard Craig Hodges was fired Friday as coach of the Chicago State men's basketball team.
Athletic director Charles Smith said assistant Phil Gary will coach the Cougars for the remainder of the season.
The Cougars (0-6) have lost 16 in a row, dating back to last season when their 2-27 record was the worst among NCAA Division I teams. Chicago State's last win was Jan. 20 against Missouri-Kansas City.
Hodges' status at Chicago State has been unsettled in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the university announced he was on indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons and his job would be re-evaluated at the end of the season. But the school later said the statement was inaccurate.
The personal reasons cited in the statement included Hodges' lawsuit against the NBA, in which he claims no other NBA team would give him a tryout after his Bulls contract expired because the league had blacklisted him.