The Associated Press reports: Jayson Williams, the former New Jersey Nets star now working for NBC Sports, was charged with pushing a police officer after an argument at a bar.

Williams was charged with obstruction and released, police said Saturday. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5.

Williams is a studio commentator for NBC's NBA telecasts. He could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Patrolman Roger Schneider responded to commotion at the bar at about 1:50a.m. Thursday, Sgt. Robert Lyle said.

Lyle did not know if Williams, 33, was involved in the original argument but said that Williams pushed Schneider twice during the investigation.

Nets coach Byron Scott scuffles with Jazz forward Karl Malone.
The confrontation began late in the first half of Wednesday's game, when Scott came onto the court to separate the Nets' Kenyon Martin and Utah's John Crotty, who had scuffled for a loose ball. Scott put his hand on Malone, who gave Scott two stiff arms to the chest.

Scott and Malone were charged with technicals, and continued to yell at each other. Scott shouted at Malone that he has ``no heart.''

``Malone doesn't scare me,'' Scott said. ``He's a man just like I am. I don't back down to anybody.''

Malone mocked Scott's job as a role player with the Lakers and said he didn't deserve to be an NBA coach. ``If I was willing to ride another guy's coattails, I would probably have myself a couple of rings,'' Malone said. ``Coach has no business being on the floor anyway. [Expletive] Byron Scott.''

It's no secret Malone can be a jerk. But Scott should know coming on the floor to break up a fight -- and exchanging insults with a player -- is unprofessional conduct.

Even Todd MacCulloch admits, this is more than what he had in mind.

Leaving the Philadelphia 76ers in the off-season after wallowing for two years in the shadows of front-court veterans like Dikembe Mutombo and Matt Geiger, the Winnipeg native left for a fresh start and a chance to make a bigger contribution with the New Jersey Nets.

The rest is a hardcourt dream come true.

``Things are going pretty well,'' said MacCulloch, in predictably humble fashion. ``I'm enjoying the bigger role. I enjoy being a bigger part of things, and I'm very glad I'm helping the team be successful.''

The Nets don't play in Toronto until Jan. 18, but he's looking forward to the trip. If all goes well, it will be his first start here, and perhaps, he says, he'll receive the same warm welcome afforded Victoria's Steve Nash when the Mavericks played at the Air Canada Centre a few weeks ago.

From the New York Times: The rookie Richard Jefferson thought the worst. The veteran Kerry Kittles thought, "Here we go again."

The news today was not the worst, at least relative to the Nets' history of injuries, but it put a familiar damper on a heady time for a team that has improved to 9-3.

In the first half against the Clippers at the Staples Center, Jefferson, the team's top reserve forward, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and Kittles, the starting shooting guard, strained his left side. Nets officials today listed Jefferson as doubtful for Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings and Kittles as questionable.

The Denver Post is reporting that Jason Kidd has been told by Nets President Rod Thorn to button his lip around Antonio McDyess and other players under contract. Kidd had said in a July conference that he always liked McDyess and would try to influence him to come to New Jersey.

The NBA is getting a little owly these days about 'tampering' and we're bound to see more of this type of 'speak no evil' public pronouncement.  Unfortunately, the league will have to get the FBI to tap player's cell phones and eavesdrop on the golf course for them to make this stick.  Russ Granik would look good in a trench coat.

Monday, November 19, 2001 - The best passing point guard in the NBA matches up tonight against the league's best scoring point guard.

NJ at DENVER
Monday, 7 p.m.

Pepsi Center

TV - FSN

Radio - 950 AM

Kidd, who led the NBA in assists the past three seasons, has guided New Jersey to a 7-2 start. He is averaging 12.9 points, 9.6 assists (second in NBA) and 7.1 rebounds. In a 94-82 loss Saturday to Philadelphia, the 6-foot-4, 212-pounder missed all nine of his field-goal attempts but had 12 assists and nine rebounds.

"I happen to be a great fan of Jason Kidd's," Nuggets coach Dan Issel said. "He is a terrific player. He has made that team a lot better."

Monday, November 19, 2001 - The New Jersey Nets have taken a back seat to the neighboring New York Knicks during most of their NBA existence.

The injury bug has infested the Nets in recent years, and their rare playoff appearances have been short-lived. The glory years? Those were in the ABA days, when Julius "Dr. J" Erving led the Nets to two league titles more than 25 years ago.

The NHL's New Jersey Devils and NFL's New York Giants have been the talk of the Meadowlands in recent years. Not the Nets. But with the addition of all-star Jason Kidd and newfound health, New Jersey is garnering notice as the NBA's early surprise team with an Eastern Conference-best 7-2 record.

EAST RUTHERFORD - Every team in the NBA's Eastern Conference feels that its chances of beating the 76ers are slim to none if its scheme involves muscling the defending conference champions.

Quickness is an asset. Athleticism is mandatory. A running game is essential, and proper execution never hurts. The New Jersey Nets walked onto their home floor last night with the intent of using those elements to their advantage. Things did not quite work out the way they would have liked.

Riding a game-high 28-point effort from Allen Iverson, a 20-point, 8-rebound effort from Derrick Coleman, and 12 assists from Aaron McKie, the Sixers methodically downed the Nets, 94-82, before a crowd of 17,318 last night at the Continental Airlines Arena.

One year ago, Todd MacCulloch was the 76ers' fourth big man, behind Theo Ratliff, Tyrone Hill and Matt Geiger. Nazr Mohammed was MacCulloch's backup. Today, MacCulloch is the starting center for the Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey Nets, Mohammed starts in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks and the Sixers can use another big man.

And both have been much more effective than they ever were with the Sixers.

"Of course, we would have loved for those guys to play," said George Lynch, a former Sixer now on the Charlotte Hornets' injured list. "When they did play, they played well for us. There are only 48 minutes in a game and you can only put five guys out there."

THEY are 6-1 and the most entertaining show in the area. They run, they leap, they excite. They build leads. They lose leads. They hold your attention. These Nets have been the NBA version of "Rocky," eternal underdogs who look brilliant one quarter, turn into a band of club fighters the next.
In the end, they've been standing lately. Maybe they're battered and bloodied, but they have been the ones with their hands up at the final bell.

"We just keep looking until we find a way to win," Lucious Harris said. "Nobody's giving up. We just know we can win any battle. We don't get scared."