Basketball
MAXWELL SENTENCED: In Houston, Philadelphia guard Vernon Maxwell was sentenced to 90 days in jail after failing to meet court orders on a marijuana possession charge.
However, Maxwell's attorneys moved quickly to file an appeal, making it unlikely that the 30-year-old would see the inside of a jail cell just yet.
Maxwell said nothing as County Court-at-Law Judge Don Jackson issued the sentence - three times the punishment sought by prosecutor Lance Long.
Last Oct. 30, Maxwell pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. He was ordered at the time to complete drug rehabilitation and submit to regular drug testing, requirements he failed to meet. Maxwell also failed to return more than 25 telephone calls made to him by the Harris County probation office.
SALLEY LEAVING: John Salley, unable to get any playing time with the Toronto Raptors, arranged for a buyout of his contract and will try to hook up with another team, The Canadian Press reported. The contract was to have run 11/2 years and was worth more than $4 million.
BUFFS' STAR PLEADS GUILTY: In Westminster, Colo., Martice Moore of Colorado pleaded guilty to shoplifting and was fined $150 in Westminster Municipal Court, then hours later, he played a key role in his team's upset of Missouri.
Moore entered the plea on Monday, and Monday night, the 6-foot-8 junior from Atlanta scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Colorado's 106-94 Big Eight victory over Missouri.
Football
HOLMES SUSPENSION: A federal judge has rebuffed the latest attempt by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Clayton Holmes to challenge his suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Judge Sidney Fitzwater denied a preliminary injunction Thursday in Holmes' $30 million lawsuit against the NFL and NFL Management Council. Holmes, suspended late last year, had sought an injunction that would have allowed him to play in the Super Bowl.
Tennis
SELES THREAT: Australian Open officials received an anonymous phone call threatening the life of Monica Seles the night before she beat Anke Huber in the women's final, a Melbourne newspaper reported.
The death threat, made to the Tennis Australia offices, was kept from Seles so she could concentrate on her match, but security around her was boosted, the Herald Sun said today.
Seles was stabbed in the back by a spectator during a tournament in Hamburg, Germany, in 1993 and spent 28 months out of the sport.
WILANDER LAWSUIT: Mats Wilander's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the International Tennis Federation over drug allegations.
The suit claims a breach of contract over allegations that the Swedish player and Czech Karel Novacek tested positive for cocaine during the 1995 French Open. Both players have denied the allegations and are suing the ITF.
According to a report in Sunday's News of the World, Wilander, Novacek, their lawyers and ITF secretary general Deborah Jevans met last week to discuss the allegations. The report said the ITF had kept details of the tests secret for eight months.
DAVIS CUP: Australian Open finalist Michael Chang, Todd Martin, Patrick McEnroe and Pat Galbraith will represent the United States against Mexico in the opening round of Davis Cup World Group play. The best-of-5 competition will be held Feb. 9-11 in Carlsbad, Calif.
CROATIA INDOORS: In Zagreb, Croatia, France's Guillaume Raoux and Cedric Pioline upset seeded players in the first round of the Croatia Indoors.
Raoux beat second-seeded countryman Arnaud Boetsch 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) and Pioline defeated sixth-seeded Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
Baseball
RED SOX-PHILLIES TRADE: Philadelphia and Boston made a long-anticipated trade, with the Red Sox acquiring closer Heathcliff Slocumb and the Phillies getting outfielder Lee Tinsley.
The Phillies also received outfielder Glenn Murray and pitcher Ken Ryan and sent outfielder Rick Holifield and pitcher Larry Wimberly to the Red Sox.
MUNOZ SIGNS: Free agent Pedro Munoz, who hit a career-high 18 homers last season for Minnesota, signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics for $595,000 with the chance to earn $175,000 more.
Munoz hit .301 last year and had 58 RBIs in 376 at-bats. The A's also claimed right-hander Aaron Small on waivers from Seattle.
- In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Twins signed outfielder Roberto Kelly to a minor league contract and invited him to major league spring training camp.
- In Denver, the Colorado Rockies signed right-hander Curtis Leskanic, who had 10 saves and led NL relievers with 107 strikeouts last season, to a one-year contract.
Yacht racing
AMERICA'S CUP: The New York Yacht Club, which once held the America's Cup for 132 years, has picked the Massachusetts-based syndicate PACT 2000 to represent it in the 1999-2000 regatta off Auckland, New Zealand.
PACT 2000 is the continuation of PACT '95, whose Young America was the fastest American yacht in the 1995 America's Cup off San Diego. Dennis Conner chartered Young America for the America's Cup finals, only to be swept 5-0 by Team New Zealand's Black Magic 1.
Hockey
CAPITALS ACQUIRE CHASSE: The Washington Capitals, moving quickly to replace injured defenseman Brendan Witt, obtained Denis Chasse from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for minor leaguer Rob Pearson.
Witt broke his left hand in Sunday's game against Philadelphia and will be lost for at least six weeks. Chasse, a right wing, had three goals in 42 games for the Blues this season.
Golf
DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT: In Boston, the state attorney general's office has joined a suit filed by 13 female golfers who claim they are not allowed prime tee times at the Haverhill Country Club.
"This intervention by my office should send a strong reminder to all country clubs about issues of exclusivity and discrimination," Attorney General Scott Harshbarger said Monday.