Rockets coach Rick Adelman criticized the NBA on Monday for setting up an "utterly ridiculous" schedule for his team that includes four back-to-back games over the next two weeks.

The Rockets face the Pistons at home on Tuesday, then must fly to Denver to play the first-place Nuggets on Wednesday. They visit Dallas on Friday and return home to face the Thunder on Saturday - then have to play two games on consecutive nights twice more during Christmas week.

"We have a horrendous stretch here," Adelman said. "I don't know if the league really understands that they gave us four straight back-to-backs. It's awful. It's utterly ridiculous."

NBA spokesman Tim Frank did not immediately return an e-mail from the Associated Press seeking comment.

In other Rockets news, forward Trevor Ariza received a one-game suspension for throwing a forearm at Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan on Sunday.

•The Suns have recalled rookie forward Taylor Griffin from Iowa of the NBA development league. Griffin is the brother of the draft's No. 1 overall pick, the Clippers' Blake Griffin. ... Former Hornets coach Byron Scott is rejoining ESPN as an NBA analyst.

AP