The NBA announced today that due to the shortened 2011-12 season, the league will reduce the season-opening suspension for Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bynum’s five-game suspension for making unnecessary and excessive contact

to J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s playoffs has been

reduced to four games. He will miss the first four games of the 2011-12

NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.