The Phoenix Suns today waived center Garret Siler, the team has announced.

The 6-11, 300-pounder averaged 2.1 points per game for the Suns last season in 21 games played. He did not play in any of the 2011-12 regular season games.

The Suns’ roster now stands at 13.

Josh Howard of the Utah Jazz has been fined $25,000 for his Flagrant Foul Two, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Howard was initially called for a Flagrant Foul One against James Anderson of the San Antonio Spurs. The league office has upgraded the call to a Flagrant Foul Two.

The incident occurred with 03.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Jazz’ 104-89 loss to the Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX on December 31.

After the 1998-’99 lockout, television ratings and attendance significantly dropped. Au contraire says 2011-12. The LA Times reports that the five Christmas day opener produced healthy ratings on TNT, ABC and ESPN, including ABC drawing in 11 million viewers for the Bulls-Lakers game.

Twenty-five of the first 32 games in the shortened season were sellouts which is up from 19 of the first 32 last season. Maybe fans want to get their NBA fix in quick while it lasts. After the holidays, however attendance might fall, but the NBA is prepared for that.

The NBA encouraged teams to make around 500 tickets per game available at $10 or less according to NBA Executive Vice President Chris Granger. Granger told the LA Times that about one million $10 tickets will be availble over the course of the season.

– Reported by Angie Wiatrowski of CSN Chicago

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have assigned Gary Neal to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League for a medical rehab assignment. Neal underwent an appendectomy on December 12, 2011.

Neal enjoyed a successful rookie campaign during the 2010-11 season. He averaged 9.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 21.1 minutes in 80 games. He led all rookies in three-point field goal percentage, posting a .419 mark, and earned a spot on the 2011 All-Rookie First Team.

Neal will practice with the Toros on Monday and Tuesday of this week and then be re-evaluated by team doctors. At that point, a timeline for his return will be determined.

Believe it or not, there was a time when this Suns season was starting to go well — in the season opener.

After a sluggish first half against New Orleans, the Suns took command with 18 points in the first six minutes of the second half as Steve Nash made his first four shots.

It also might have been their worst stretch thus far. During that span, Nash fouled Greivis Vasquez on a 3-point play and took a Vasquez shoulder into his ribs as he jumped into Vasquez. Shortly thereafter, Nash grimaced and asked out of the game. A week later, Nash still is not right, and his 7-for-29 shooting since that game reflects the pain he has endured from the bruised rib.

Nash said it improves nightly with medication, but in each game he inevitably takes a blow to the left-rib-cage area and aggravates it. The intercostal muscles in the rib cage allow it to expand and drop during breathing.

“It’s like I’m holding my breath a lot,” Nash said. “I’m tired a lot. I’m bracing. It’s not fun.

“It’s definitely affected my shot and mobility.”

– Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

If it were up to Reggie Evans, he would play right now.

But it’s not up to Evans, and he knows he has to listen to the Clippers’ training staff that has told the backup center-power forward that his sprained right foot hasn’t healed enough for him to play.

Evans said he participated in some on-court work with the Clippers at Saturday’s practice and hopes to do more this week.

“If it was up to me, the way my mind is right now, I’d start doing so more stuff right now on the court,” he said. “But I’ve got to listen to [Clippers trainer] Jasen Powell. I can’t overrule him.

“You know me, I’m a competitor. I want to play. So quite naturally my mind is like, ‘Let’s go.’ ”

– Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

After scoring 17 points in the opener at Indiana, Jonas Jerebko had one of the best games of his career Saturday as the Pistons won their first game of the season. He scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds — one shy of his career high — in a 96-88 victory over the Pacers at The Palace.

Jerebko shot 8-for-14 from the field — including 3 of 4 from 3-point range — and scored 16 points in the first half as Detroit built a 52-44 advantage at the intermission.

“Jonas is great,” said coach Lawrence Frank. “One of the things that was a consistent thing was how hard he worked at rehab. He basically lived with Arnie Kander. It speaks volumes about his dedication to come back from an injury like that. Meeting Jonas and seeing how hard he works you can see why.

“When you look at the two preseason games and now we’ve played four regular-season games, each game he gains more confidence and more rhythm and he looks more and more comfortable out there. That’s an encouraging sign.”

– Reported by Brendan Savage of the Flint Journal

Wade turns 30 later this month, and in his ninth pro season nutrition is as important to him as any other part of his regimen. That wasn’t always the case: Even when he was on his way to being MVP of the NBA finals in 2006, Wade could get away with eating just about anything he wanted, chicken fingers and cheeseburgers seeming like staples of his diet.

Not anymore. Farewell, sweets. Hello, salads.

And Wade says changing the way he fuels his body has him feeling as healthy as ever.

“The protein, the drinks, the carbohydrates, I know all the things I need,” Wade said. “The biggest thing is that I’ve talked with a nutritionist, who’s working with the team, who understands what we need, how much we practice, what weight I need to be at, what body fat, this, this and this. Put them together, come up with a master plan and I reap the benefits.”

So are the Heat, who are 5-0 for the first time after polishing off the Charlotte Bobcats 129-90 on Sunday night not long after Wade polished off that pasta-and-fruit dinner. Wade came into the season with a body fat of less than 4 percent, but says he has enough strength and bulk to get through the grind of a condensed 66-game regular season, and credits the culinary changes for that belief.

– Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Chicago Bulls guard C.J. Watson sprained his left elbow in the fourth quarter of tonight’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

He was evaluated by Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. Greg Nicholson of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

Watson is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday and his status will be determined once all medical information has been gathered.

The Sacramento Kings have assigned center Hassan Whiteside and rookie forward Tyler Honeycutt to the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today.

Whiteside has not appeared in a game this season. Honeycutt recorded two points (2-2 FT) and one rebound in four minutes off the bench versus New York (12/31). Honeycutt becomes the third Kings player to be assigned to the D-League (Donté Greene in 2008-09, Hassan Whiteside last season).

Whiteside, a 7-0, 235-pound center, appeared in one game last season, playing two minutes against the Timberwolves on October 27, 2010. He was assigned to the Bighorns on November 29, 2010 and was recalled on January 9, 2011. While with the Bighorns, Whiteside averaged 4.4 points (.509 FG%, .412 FT%), 2.7 rebounds, 2.14 blocks, and 10.5 minutes per game in 14 games (started 3). Whiteside was selected by Sacramento as a freshman out of Marshall in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Honeycutt, a 6-8, 188-pound forward, was selected by the Kings as a sophomore out of UCLA in the second round (35th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.3 points (.431 FG%, .359 3pt%, .684 FT%), 6.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 31.7 minutes per game in 59 career games for the Bruins.