USA loses second straight
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Just 24 hours after suffering its first international loss with NBA players, Team USA surrendered a 10-point lead in the final six minutes Thursday night and was stunned by Yugoslavia, 81-78, knocking the Americans from medal contention at the World Basketball Championships.
After winning their first 58 games with NBA players on the rosters, Team USA dropped an 87-80 decision to Argentina on Wednesday night. But the loss did not prevent the United States from reaching the quarterfinals, where they drew a dangerous Yugoslavia squad.
"I am embarrassed, I was embarrassed to lose to Argentina and this really hurts," said Paul Pierce, who led the United States in scoring throughout the tournament. "We are disappointed and hurting right now."
Instead of putting Wednesday's disappointing performance behind them, Coach George Karl's squad came out without emotion, surrendered the first nine points of the game and then coughed up the lead late in the contest.
Rather than playing in the semifinals, the United States will meet Puerto Rico in a classification round game Friday night.
Yugoslavia's comeback began with the Americans owning a 69-59 lead and was fueled by consecutive three-pointers from Milan Gurovic. The 15-2 run put the defending WBC champions ahead, 74-71. Marko Jaric made four free throws in the closing seconds.
Yugoslavia faces New Zealand in the semifinals Saturday after New Zealand surprised Puerto Rico, 65-63.
The other semifinal will send Germany up against Argentina.
Fabricio Oberto and Emanuel Ginobili each scored 19 points, helping Argentina pull away late for a 78-67 victory over Brazil. Germany, with Dirk Nowitzki again making the difference, rallied to defeat Spain, 70-62.
San Francisco wins NFL opener
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Jeff Garcia drove San Francisco the length of the field in the final two minutes and Jose Cortez kicked a 36-yard field goal with six seconds remaining Thursday night, giving the 49ers a 16-13 victory over the New York Giants in the opening game of the National Football League season.
Cortez, who survived a training camp battle with draft pick Jeff Chandler, had made two out of four attempts before producing the game-winner.
The defensive-oriented duel seemed headed to overtime when the Giants tied the game with 1:55 to play on Tiki Barber's one-yard touchdown run.
But on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Garcia hit Terrell Owens with a 33-yard throw that took the ball to the Giants' 37. Garcia then found J.J. Stokes with a 12-yard pass that moved the ball into field goal range.
Cortez kicked a 23-yarder with a minute left in the first period that tied the game at 3-3 and added a 33-yarder early in the fourth quarter that gave the 49ers a 13-6 advantage. But he also had one blocked early in the game and missed a 48-yard attempt late in the first half.
Neither team could produce a touchdown until Garrison Hearst caught a pass from Garcia 4:26 deep into the third period and barely lunged across the goal line to complete a nine-yard scoring play that put San Francisco ahead, 10-6.
Sampras sails past Roddick into semis
NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Pete Sampras turned Andy Roddick's dream match into a nightmare Thursday night, defeating the 20-year-old in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Sampras, the 17th seed, will play No. 24 Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands in Saturday's semifinals.
Much like the way he played in his fourth-round victory over third-seed Tommy Haas, the 31-year-old Sampras served well and played aggressive tennis, approaching the net whenever the opportunity arose.
Sampras recorded six of his 13 aces in the first set and was successful on 16 of his 19 net approaches.
Roddick, who dubbed this match against his childhood idol as "a dream come true" following his fourth-round victory against Juan Ignacio Chela on Wednesday, was given a break point opportunity in the second game of the second set. But Sampras held, then broke Roddick at love to go up 2-1.
Roddick did not see another break point opportunity for the remainder of the match --- one that that was completed in just 90 minutes.
"This is what I play for. These are big moments, playing Andy in a night match," said Sampras, who improved to 20-0 in night matches here. "He's the young up-and-comer that has a great future. I'm pumped up. There's no question, I kind of feed off the energy of playing at night here.
"He just wasn't on top of his game. He just was struggling a little bit. I think I played pretty well."
Sampras recorded 43 winners against 22 unforced errors. Roddick, who served well in his two prior matches against Sampras -- both victories -- mustered only one ace in the first two sets and finished the match with eight. He was broken four times.
Roddick has never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam event.
Owners ratify contract
NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that franchise owners had ratified the collective bargaining agreement reached with the players last week.
Although only a majority of the 30 owners was needed to approve the deal, the New York Yankees cast the lone dissenting vote.
The high-spending Yankees will be hurt most by the luxury tax and revenue sharing aspects of the new contract.
"The clubs recognize that this historic agreement will significantly contribute to restoring competitive balance and economic stability to the game," Selig said.
"We believe the agreement increases competitive balance and revives hope and faith to many franchises in baseball, all of which are so important to our fans. And equally important to our fans is that now all of us in baseball can shift our focus to where it belongs -- to the events that transpire on the ball field."
The settlement came just hours before players were scheduled to walk off the job. It marked the first time in baseball history that negotiations between owners and players did not lead to a work stoppage.
Rodriguez reaches 50 homers
BALTIMORE, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Alex Rodriguez hit two more homers Thursday night as the Texas Rangers produced five overall and rolled to an 11-2 victory over the reeling Baltimore Orioles.
Rodriguez leads the major leagues with 50 homers and became just the fifth player in history to post consecutive seasons with at least 50.
The Rangers extended their franchise record for consecutive games with a home run to 23. Over that span, they have hit 47.
Rodriguez's first homer of the game -- a two-run shot in the opening inning -- staked Texas to a 2-0 lead. He then opened the fourth with his 50th home run of the season, extending Texas' lead to 6-1.
Carl Everett, Todd Hollandsworth and Michael Young homered in the sixth for Texas, which has 201 home runs this season is two behind the New York Yankees for the major league lead.
Other American League results: Toronto 5, Boston 4; New York 9, Detroit 3; Anaheim 10, Tampa Bay 1; Cleveland 11, Chicago 6.
Astros win in 11
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Jeff Bagwell singled home the first run of the game in the top of the 11th inning Thursday and four pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Houston Astros outlasted the San Diego Padres, 5-0.
Bagwell snapped the scoreless tie with a bases-loaded single off reliever Doug Nickle that drove in Jose Vizcaino. Pinch-hitter Mark Loretta added a sacrifice fly and, after Brad Ausmus drew a walk to reload the bases, Brian Hunter capped the scoring by clearing the bases with a triple.
Closer Billy Wagner (4-2) notched the win with 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief. The trio of Tom Gordon, Wagner and Octavio Dotel gave up just one hit after starter Wade Miller allowed six over seven innings.
Reliever Jonathan Johnson (1-1) started the 11th and took the loss for the Padres, who have dropped three of their last four.
Other National League results: Philadelphia 4, Montreal 1; New York 4, Florida 1.
Theodore signs extension
MONTREAL, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Jose Theodore, who blossomed into one of the NHL's best goaltenders last season and was rewarded with the Hart and Vezina trophies, received a new contract Thursday.
Terms were not disclosed.
At just 25, Theodore had a dream season in 2001-02, winning the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player and the Vezina Trophy as its best goaltender. He went 30-24-10 with seven shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and an NHL-best .931 save percentage.
Theodore also excelled in the postseason, leading the Canadiens to an improbable run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they eventually lost to the Carolina Hurricanes as the eighth seed.
Kemp goes to Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Looking for a solution to their troubled frontcourt, the Orlando Magic Thursday signed underachieving forward Shawn Kemp.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
A six-time All-Star whose career has been marred by weight problems and drug abuse, Kemp was looking for a new team after he forfeited $25 million of a $46.5 million contract in a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this summmer.
"I know the history here, but I'm a believer in giving people opportunities," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "Shawn is a great passer, a heck of a rebounder and can still shoot. Is he a savior? No, but he has a chance at addressing some of our needs. I am willing to take that chance."
With his weight ballooning to as much as 280 pounds, Kemp averaged just 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 75 games for the Blazers last season.
Grant Waite leads Canadian Open
MARKHAM, Ont., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Grant Waite fired a 8-under-par-64 Thursday and had a two-shot lead after the first round of the Bell Canadian Open.
Winless since 1993 and in the midst of another rough year, Waite enjoyed a bogey-free round en route to signing for his lowest score of the year.
One place Waite has played well is in Canada. The 38-year-old, who used to play on the Canadian Tour, has a pair of runner-up finishes in Canada, including one at this event in 2000 when he was edged on the final day by Tiger Woods.
Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson, Billy Andrade, Neil Lancaster and Greg Chalmers were two shots back.
