Tinsley: I made a stupid mistake

Jamaal Tinsley knows he has to make lifestyle changes, and he feels blessed to have the chance.

That was the Indiana Pacers guard's mind-set 36 hours after being shot at with an assault weapon in front of a downtown Indianapolis hotel. He was not injured.

"The man upstairs, he gave me another opportunity to see another day. When athletes step out, anything can happen," the sixth-year player said after Monday's practice.

Tinsley met with coach Jim O'Brien and team president Larry Bird a day after the guard and several companions were targeted in an early Sunday morning shooting that wounded the team's equipment manager. The suspected shooters have not been arrested as police continue to investigate.

According to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Paul Thompson, at least three people in Tinsley's group had guns, all of which were legal. Though police didn't say Tinsley was carrying a gun, he does have a permit.

The team didn't punish Tinsley in the latest instance of Pacers players finding trouble -- or trouble finding them.

First-year coach O'Brien said Tinsley did nothing wrong, other than making bad decisions, but he knows the damage might already have been done to an image the franchise has worked frantically to rebuild.

"Of course, you worry about your fans and the community and how people look at you," Tinsley said. "I made a stupid mistake, again.

"I'm very disappointed that it happened, with me. It was supposed to be fun. That's all I wanted to do is have fun."

This episode was Tinsley's third late-night incident in about 14 months. It is the latest in a three-year string of off-court problems that have engulfed the franchise, starting with a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans in 2004.

In the latest incident, Tinsley's group had arrived at the "Cloud 9" club in a Mercedes, a Rolls Royce and a Dodge Charger, all owned by Tinsley. Thompson said a group gathered around the Rolls Royce and gave Tinsley a hard time about his cars and his earnings.

After leaving the club, the group realized a car and a pickup truck were following them, Thompson said, adding there were at least two people in the truck and four in the car.

Instead of going home, Tinsley's group pulled into the Conrad Hotel parking lot, where someone in the pursuing vehicles opened fire with a .223 caliber assault rifle, spraying bullets on the hotel, Tinsley's cars and nearby buildings.

Pacers trainer Joey Qatato was struck in both elbows as he sat with Tinsley in the Rolls Royce, which was hit by several bullets, as was the Charger. The 48-year-old Qatato was taken to Methodist Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Following the shooting at the hotel, Tinsley's brother, James, was part of a group that chased the shooter in one of Jamaal Tinsley's vehicles.

James Tinsley, who also has a gun permit, fired his 9 millimeter handgun during the chase but hasn't been charged because the incident is still under investigation, Thompson said. Jamaal Tinsley did not participate in the chase.

Isiah settles: Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas reached an $11.5 million settlement of the sexual harassment case brought by a former team executive.

The deal came Monday as Anucha Browne Sanders was preparing to return to U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where her description of her ordeal with the Knicks exposed the club's tawdry side, from its dysfunctional clubhouse to its star player's sexual exploits with an intern.

A jury awarded her $11.6 million in punitive damages. This deal replaces that.

"I am extremely pleased that we have reached a settlement," Browne Sanders said in a statement. "The jury's verdict in this case sent a powerful and enduring message that harassment and retaliation at Madison Square Garden will not be tolerated. ... It has been a long journey, but I believe that justice has been done."

"As I have said before, I am completely innocent," Thomas said. "This decision doesn't change that. However, this is the best course for Madison Square Garden, and I fully support it."

James back tonight? LeBron James' injured finger passed the required practice test. It's game time.

James, who has missed Cleveland's past five games -- all losses -- with a sprained left index finger, is expected to be back in the lineup tonight when the Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers.

Following practice on Monday, James said the finger has improved and that he didn't have any problems with it after two days of contact.