ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins was suspended for 25 games without pay on Tuesday for a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug program after testing positive for a growth hormone.
The NBA announced that Collins, 22, tested positive for Peptide-2. He is Atlanta’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer.
Collins is the third player to be handed 25-game suspensions for drug violations this season.
The NBA announced Oct. 24 that Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton was suspended after testing positive for a diuretic.
On Aug. 29, the league suspended Brooklyn Nets forward Wilson Chandler for testing positive for Ipamorelin, a drug that increases the release of growth hormone.
The suspensions of Ayton and Chandler also are without pay.
Collins’ suspension begins with Tuesday night’s game against San Antonio.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said the team was “disappointed to learn that John put himself in an unfortunate situation and violated the league’s anti-drug policy.”
“We hold ourselves and each of our players to a high standard, and we are committed to supporting John as he learns from this setback and continues to grow as both a player and a person,” Schlenk said in a statement released by the team.
Schlenk said he and coach Lloyd Pierce spoke with Collins “and we believe that he is truly remorseful for his actions. We will provide John with support on and off the court while we look forward to his return to the team.”
Collins, a 6-foot-9 forward, is averaging 17 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports