Williams indicted for manslaughter
FLEMINGTON, N.J., May 1 (UPI) -- Former NBA star and NBC television analyst Jayson Williams by a grand jury Wednesday was indicted on charges of wreckless manslaughter in connection with the Valentine's Day shooting of a limo driver.
Costas Christofi was shot to death during a party at Williams' huge estate, located about 30 miles north of Trenton, N.J., in Alexandria Township. Christofi was killed by a shotgun blast to the chest.
Williams also was indicted on several other charges, including aggrevated assault and witness and evidence tampering. He remains free on $270,000 bail, and could get up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Christofi was taking a tour of the Williams estate when the shooting occurred. He had driven Williams' party from Bethlehem, PA., after the group had attended a Harlem Globetrotters game.
Spurs try to close out Sonics
SEATTLE, May 1 (UPI) -- The shorthanded San Antonio Spurs face an uphill struggle without Tim Duncan and David Robinson while the Philadelphia 76ers hope to get even Wednesday in the NBA playoffs.
The second-seeded Spurs lead the Seattle SuperSonics, two games to one, but will be hard-pressed to pull out a win Wednesday in Game Four of their Western Conference series without their two 7-footers.
A Most Valuable Player candidate, Duncan will miss Game Four because of the death of his father. Duncan left practice early Monday after learning that his father, William, had been hospitalized.
The elder Duncan died later in the day in North Carolina.
Duncan averaged 26.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in the first three games of this series. He had 27 points and 13 rebounds in the Spurs' 102-75 rout at Seattle in Game Three on Sunday.
Robinson will miss his third straight game due to a strained lower back. San Antonio may also be without forward Danny Ferry, who is listed as doubtful with a sprained wrist on his shooting hand.
"We'll play some (lineup) combinations you haven't seen very much," said Spurs Coach-General Manager Gregg Popovich.
Popovich will probably start 6-7 Malik Rose at power forward and 6-9 Mark Bryant in the middle, with little-used Cherokee Parks in reserve.
The Sonics will be without 6-10 forward Rashard Lewis, who separated his left shoulder after getting tangled up with Rose in Game Three. He already was playing with a severely sprained left ankle that forced him to miss the last 10 regular season games.
If the SuperSonics win Wednesday, the decisive Game Five will be played Friday at San Antonio.
The winner of the series plays the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals.
Two series in the Eastern Conference are headed to a decisive Game Five, and the 76ers can make it three with a win tonight against the Boston Celtics.
After losing twice in Boston, the Sixers averted a sweep with a 108-103 victory Sunday, a game in which they blew a 16-point lead but came back from six points down late in the fourth quarter.
The Charlotte Hornets became the first team to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, 102-85, to win their first-round series, three games to one.
The top-seeded New Jersey Nets and second-seeded Detroit Pistons will play the decisive games in their respective series on Thursday.
The Indiana Pacers got a boost from reserve forward Austin Croshere on Tuesday and evened their first-round series with the Nets at two games apiece with a 97-74 victory.
The decisive fifth game in that series will be at New Jersey, where the Nets owned the best home record in the Eastern Conference at 33-8.
Also on Thursday, the Detroit Pistons will host the Toronto Raptors in Game Five of a first-round series in which the home team has won each time.
Colorado, San Jose series gets underway
DENVER, May 1 (UPI) -- After surviving a seven-game quarterfinal series, the Colorado Avalanche continue defense of their Stanley Cup title Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks in Game One of the
Western Conference semifinal. Colorado won the first two games of its series against the Los Angeles Kings, who won three of the next four contests to force a decisive Game Seven.
The Avalanche posted a 4-0 triumph on Monday as Patrick Roy stopped 23 shots for his NHL record 21st postseason shutout, and Steven Reinprecht scored his team-leading fourth goal.
Roy recorded two shutouts and yielded just four goals over the final four games against the Kings.
The Avalanche have reached the semifinals six of the last seven seasons, including the last four in a row.
Colorado is 15-4 in Game One since 1996, going 11-4 on home ice, and 8-1 in its last nine series openers. Colorado is as healthy as it's been all season.
Peter Forsberg returned from an 11-game absence because of injury to lead the team with seven points, despite missing Game Six. Milan Hejduk came back for Game Six after missing two months with an abdominal injury and collected two assists on Monday.
The Sharks have been resting since eliminating the Phoenix Coyotes, four games to one, completing that series last Friday.
Colorado and San Jose split four games during the regular season.
The second game of the series is Saturday in Denver.
NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Orlando Magic forward Tracy McGrady each were honored Wednesday with their first career selections to the All-NBA First Team when the league announced the 2001-2002 All-NBA teams.
Bryant, who was named to the All-NBA Second Team twice (2000, 2001) and the Third Team once in his career (1999), averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 80 contests this season. McGrady, who averaged 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 76 games, was selected to the All-NBA second team last season.
The New Jersey Nets were represented on the All-NBA First Team for the first time in franchise history as point guard Jason Kidd earned All-NBA First Team honors. Kidd joined the All-NBA First Team for the fourth consecutive season.
Rounding out the All-NBA First Team were Los Angeles Lakers' center Shaquille O'Neal and San Antonio Spurs' forward Tim Duncan, who tied as the top vote-getters with 626 points each.
O'Neal made his fourth appearance on the All-NBA First Team, and led all players with 125 First Team votes. Duncan was named to the All-NBA First Team for the fifth consecutive season and secured 124 First Team votes.
The 126-member voting panel of writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada consisted of 39 national media members and three media members from each of the league's 29 teams who regularly cover the NBA.
The All-NBA Second Team consists of forwards Kevin Garnett of Minnesota, Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas, and Chris Webber of Sacramento, and guards Gary Payton of Seattle and Allen Iverson of Philadelphia.
The All-NBA Third Team includes guards Steve Nash of Dallas and Paul Pierce of Boston, forwards Jermaine O'Neal of Indiana and Ben Wallace of Detroit, and center Dikembe Mutombo of Philadelphia.
