Sports briefs 5/23/04

Baseball

New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi went on the disabled list for the first time in his 10-year career Saturday, giving him two weeks to rest a sprained ankle as well as other aches and pains. Giambi hurt his right ankle when he stepped into a hole after rounding first base in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night. X-rays showed there was no break, but he left the stadium with his foot wrapped and using crutches. Giambi is hitting .270 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Richie Sexson left Saturday's game against the Florida Marlins after aggravating a left shoulder injury that recently sidelined him for more than three weeks. Sexson, who had been on the disabled list until being activated before Friday night's game, left after drawing a walk in the sixth inning of Florida's 11-2 victory. He aggravated his shoulder while checking his swing on ball four. Sexson originally injured his shoulder while trying to check his swing April 28 against the Chicago Cubs.

Basketball

Reggie Miller's one and only basket of the game came when the Indiana Pacers needed it most. After missing his first six shots, Miller drilled a 3-pointer with 31.7 seconds left. The shot broke the game's final tie and led Indiana past Detroit 78-74 Saturday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

College

Former Brigham Young running back Marcus Whalen and BYU wide receiver Breyon Jones have been charged with robbery, assault and making a false statement to police. Whalen, 22, and Jones, 21, are suspected of beating up and taking cash from a mutual acquaintance named Yussufu Nsabimana during an April 14 argument over money. Nsabimana, 34, a native of Burundi, claims he was attacked twice on April 14 after he, Whalen, Jones and another acquaintance had been drinking at a Provo bar and the men argued. Police are treating third man as a witness, not as a suspect in the case.

Tradition might yet triumph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Going into the final round of time trials Sunday, it's going to take seven drivers to fill the traditional 33-car lineup for the May 30 race. By the end of Saturday's practice, six had rides and had turned laps on the 2 1/2-mile oval. There are more cars and drivers, if 11th-hour deals can be made. "I think there will be 33," said Sam Schmidt, who made a deal this week to lease a car from Penske Racing and hired Richie Hearn on Thursday to drive it. "There's so much gossip here, but I think it will get there." There have not been fewer than 33 starters in the 500 since only 30 took the green flag in 1947.

Tennis

Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport was upset in the Strasbourg Open final Saturday by Luxembourg's Claudine Schaul, a 66th-ranked player who won her first title. Schaul produced the best performance of her career, winning 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 against a player who is ranked No. 4 and is a three-time Grand Slam tournament champion.

-- From wire reports