Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams has apologised for “being a distraction” after he was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession at Dallas Fort Worth Airport on Saturday.
Williams missed two Dallas games after less than two ounces of marijuana, which is illegal for recreational use in the state of Texas, were found in his luggage.
The 25-year-old scored 20 points and seven rebounds from the bench when he returned in the Mavericks’ 107-105 win against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Centre.
“I can’t really go into further detail,” Williams said.
“I just want to apologise for just being a distraction. I want to take full accountability.”
The use of marijuana is not prohibited in the NBA and the league stopped testing for the substance in 2023.
The Mavericks are 12th in the Western Conference and have won two of their five games this season.
Elsewhere, Matas Buzelis scored 27 points while Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic both chipped in with double-doubles to extend the Chicago Bulls’ perfect start to the season.
The Bulls have won all four of their games and sit top of the Eastern Conference after beating the Sacramento Kings 126-113 in Chicago.
Austin Reaves scored on the buzzer to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-115 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
Reaves ended the game with 28 points and 16 assists to make up for the absence of injured Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Ja Morant’s 28 points for the Memphis Grizzlies in Arizona consigned the Phoenix Suns to a fourth successive loss.
The Portland Trail Blazers profited from Jrue Holiday’s four key free throws in the final seconds to earn a 136-134 win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The New Orleans Pelicans remain the only side in the Western Conference yet to win after losing 122-88 at the Denver Nuggets.
Kevin Durant put on a strong late showing, scoring 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, to guide the Houston Rockets to a 139-121 win against the Toronto Raptors in Ontario.
The Orlando Magic fell to a fourth successive defeat at the Detroit Pistons, with Cade Cunningham’s 30 points and 10 assists helping the hosts to a 135-116 win.
In New York, the Atlanta Hawks overcame an early 12-0 deficit to win 117-112 at the Brooklyn Nets, who are yet to win any of their opening five games.
The Boston Celtics made home court advantage count as Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 30 points in a 125-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.