The NBA considered suspending Andrew Bynum for three games before settling on a two-game punishment for his flagrant foul on Friday against Minnesota.

Bynum sat out the game Sunday against Portland (an 84-80 Lakers victory) and will also miss the game Tuesday against Phoenix.

The NBA had its reasons for acting decisively, according to Stu Jackson, in charge of player discipline as the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations.

"It was not a basketball play," he said in a phone interview with The Times. "There was a chance for Bynum to make a basketball play, but he led with his forearm on a play that was both dangerous and reckless because the player, Michael Beasley, was vulnerable in the air with no defense. The result of all of this was Beasley was injured and had to leave the game.

"We considered even going with three games, but we felt two was warranted here."