Sports briefs 12/13/03

Baseball

Kevin Brown gave his tentative approval Friday to the proposed trade that would send him from Los Angeles to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver. New York also closed in on signing free-agent outfielder Kenny Lofton to a two-year contract for about $6 million. For the trade to become final, Brown had to waive his right to block it, both players had to pass physicals and the Yankees had to review Brown's $105 million, seven-year contract.

Basketball

Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen is expected to miss at least six weeks after surgery on his left knee revealed a torn meniscus. Pippen has been limited to 12 games due to swelling and pain in the knee, having it drained three times. He underwent surgery Friday. He is averaging 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.25 steals in 22.3 minutes this season.

The father of Utah Jazz reserve forward Keon Clark has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of an acquaintance. John Clark, 46, was convicted late Thursday of shooting Clarence Cunningham III, 27, of Danville in the early morning hours of July 17. The two apparently had argued over a bicycle an hour before the shooting.

College

Jeff Graves has been indefinitely suspended from the Kansas basketball program, coach Bill Self announced. Graves has played in all five games this year, averaging 15 minutes, 3.8 points and four rebounds a game.

Illinois guard Deron Williams had successful surgery on his broken jaw, a day after fracturing it in two places in a collision with another player. The sophomore is expected to miss at least three games after breaking his jaw in Thursday's game against Maryland-Eastern Shore. The next three games on the schedule are today against Memphis, Dec. 23 against Missouri and Dec. 30 against Illinois-Chicago. Williams is averaging 13 points per game for the Illini and leads the team in steals.

Football

Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair will be a game-time decision Sunday against Buffalo as he recovers from an ankle injury. The swelling in McNair's injured left ankle continues to go down, but the NFL's top-rated passer has not practiced this week after tests revealed a sprain and a cracked bone spur in the ankle.

Horse racing

Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone sustained a compression fracture of her spine in a spill Friday in the third race at Hollywood Park. Krone was admitted to Centinela Hospital Medical Center and will undergo an MRI on today. There was no immediate word on how long the often-injured 40-year-old Krone will be sidelined.

-- From wire reports