Fanfare 2/27

Briefly

Basketball Lakers coach Phil Jackson visited practice Wednesday, but his return to the bench after having a kidney stone removed is uncertain. Jackson missed his first game as an NBA head coach Tuesday night, when assistant Jim Cleamons took over as the Lakers beat the Clippers 109-98. Team spokesman John Black said he was uncertain when the 57-year-old Jackson would return. The Lakers host Detroit tonight and travel to Seattle on Friday night before taking four days off.

Dallas forward Eduardo Najera was suspended for one game by the NBA on Wednesday for bumping a referee during the Mavericks' loss to Orlando. Najera was ejected for making contact with official David Jones after Orlando's Tracy McGrady wasn't called for losing the ball out of bounds during the second quarter Tuesday night.

Ron Artest was suspended for disciplinary reasons by coach Isiah Thomas and did not travel with the Pacers on their flight to Boston.

Colleges Kansas forward Wayne Simien, who missed six weeks earlier this season with a dislocated right shoulder, left Wednesday night's game against Texas A&M after the shoulder popped out again. Simien left the court in obvious pain, holding his right arm with his left hand and grimacing. A Kansas spokesman later said the shoulder went back into place but that Simien would not return to the game.

Football The Rams will play both 2003 Super Bowl teams in back-to-back games to start the preseason, the team announced. The Rams will open exhibition play at Oakland in a game featuring the losers of the past two Super Bowls. The time and date have not been set, though the game will be sometime between Aug. 7 and Aug. 11, the Rams said.

St. Louis will host the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 8 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Edward Jones Dome in a Monday Night Football contest. The Rams will play at Buffalo between Aug. 21 and Aug. 25; and will host Kansas City between Aug. 28 and Aug. 31.

Terrell Davis could be back in a Broncos uniform in 2003. The former Pro Bowl running back has agreed in principle on a contract and hopes to finalize the restructured deal possibly today to keep him on the roster until at least June.

Quarterback Jim Miller was released by the Bears after being slowed by elbow and shoulder problems last season. The Bears also released their senior player, James Williams.

The Steelers officially cut ties to KordellStewart, releasing the multitalented quarterback who led them to two AFC championship games, but perplexed them with his inconsistency.

Golf Tiger Woods held up his end of the bargain Wednesday, defeating Carl Pettersson in the first round of the Match Play Championship. For Ernie Els, it was another shocking finish to a short week at La Costa. Poised to get past Phil Tataurangi, he could only watch as the Kiwi holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th and then win on the 20th hole. Six of the top 10 seeds managed to advance to the second round -- Phil Mickelson, David Toms, Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk.

On the airGolf

Accenture Match Play Championship, 1 p.m, ESPN

Chrysler Classic of Tucson, 5 p.m., USA

Jacob's Creek Open Championship, 8 p.m., GOLFCollege men's basketball

Marquette at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN2

Southeast at Tennessee Tech, 7 p.m., KEZS-102.9

Hawaii at Tulsa, 9 p.m., ESPN2

Arizona at California, 9:30 p.m., Fox-MidwestCollege women's basketball

Southeast at Tennessee Tech, 5:10 p.m., KAPE-1550High school boys basketball

Notre Dame vs. Sikeston, 7:30 p.m., KAPE-1550

Central vs. Poplar Bluff, 7:30 p.m., KGIR-1220High school girls basketball

Jackson vs. Central, 6 p.m., KREZ-104.7

NBA

Houston at Washington, 6 p.m., TNT

Sacramento at Dallas, 8:30 p.m., TNT

NHL

Boston at N.Y. Rangers or Chicago at Philadelphia, 7 p.m., ESPN

CHARTER CABLE SPORTS KEY --CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), Golf Channel (46), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area eventsCollege men's basketball

Southeast at Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m.College women's basketball

Southeast at Tennessee Tech, 5:30 p.m.High school boys' basketball

Class 5, District 1 Tournament, Central: (championship) Central vs. Poplar Bluff, 7:30 p.m.

Class 4, District 1 Tournament, Notre Dame: (semifinals) Dexter vs. Ste. Genevieve, 6 p.m.; Notre Dame vs. Sikeston, 7:45 p.m.

Marquand at Chaffee, 7:30 p.m.

Zalma at Meadow Heights, 7:30 p.m.

Bloomfield at Woodland, 7:30 p.m.

Scott City at Puxico, 8 p.m.

Oran at Kelly, 8 p.m.

Eagle Ridge Christian, New Salem Baptist at Missouri Christian State Tournament, JoplinHigh school girls' basketball

Class 5, District 1 Tournament, Central: (championship) Central vs. Jackson, 6 p.m.

Oran at Kelly, 6:30 p.m.

Scott County Central at Delta, 8 p.m.

Eagle Ridge Christian, New Salem Baptist at Missouri Christian State Tournament, Joplin