INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest sat out the second of a two-game benching on Wednesday in a 102-68 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, a penalty that apparently stemmed from the player's request for time off to deal with exhaustion and off-court issues, including the promotion of a rap album that is slated to be released later this month.

Artest, who has been bothered by nagging injuries since training camp, was not suspended and did not lose any of his salary.

"I was running around a lot and doing a whole bunch of stuff and I've also been working out, so I think I wore myself down physically, I wore myself down mentally," Artest said Wednesday. "I was ready to take some time off, at least like a month off, but two games is enough."

Artest was benched for what Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle termed "compromising the integrity of the team."

"We'll see," added Carlisle on the playing status of Artest for Friday's game at Philadelphia. "It's not something I'm going to talk about right now."

Without Artest and an injury to Jermaine O'Neal in the third quarter on Wednesday, the Pacers suffered the worst home loss in franchise history and their first loss after opening the season with four straight wins.

Artest, who has dealt with NBA suspensions in the past for his volatile behavior, leads the team with an average of 24.3 points in the three games he has played.