Mixed news for Rockets

HOUSTON — Ron Artest’s flagrant-2 foul on the Lakers’ Pau Gasol in Game 3 on Friday was downgraded to a flagrant-1 by the NBA today. It means Artest will not be suspended for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon. He was ejected late in each of the last two games. He got booted for confronting the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and referees Joey Crawford and Bill Spooner in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He got kicked out for knocking Gasol to the floor with a hard foul with 43.6 seconds left in Game 3. Meanwhile, the Rockets announced Yao Ming has a sprained left ankle and might not play in Game 4. Yao was hurt in the second quarter of Game 3. Houston coach Rick Adelman said the Rockets were prepared to play without Yao. Artest said Yao told him he would play.