Sports briefs 6/17/05

Baseball

• The Atlanta Braves put right-hander Tim Hudson on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, forcing them to scramble their pitching plans before the start of a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Hudson lasted only 2 2-3 innings Monday, giving up five runs in a 7-3 loss to Texas. It was his shortest start since 2001 with Oakland. Hudson had developed cramps in his previous start.

The Braves said Hudson had a strained muscle in his left side. The right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.78 ERA in 14 starts.

Right-hander Jorge Sosa will start in his place Saturday, moving up a day.

Hudson's roster spot was taken by right-hander Jim Brower, who was released by San Francisco on Monday and signed with the Braves.

Basketball

* Billy Hunter had promised to make one more call to NBA commissioner David Stern, and he wasted little time picking up the phone. As a result, collective bargaining talks between owners and players will resume today.

No meetings have been held since June 1 when the sides met for 2 1/2 hours at the union's offices in New York.

The past two weeks have been marked by public posturing from both sides, with the latest salvo coming Wednesday when Hunter, director of the players' union, traveled to the NBA Finals to explain his side of the story as to why talks have been stalled.

Hunter said he would call Stern before the current labor agreement expires June 30, and that call apparently was made Thursday.

* Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles has signed a contract extension that runs through the 2008-09 season, the team announced Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal reportedly is for $16.5 million over four seasons. Skiles agreed last week to stay on as coach.

In their first full season under Skiles, who was hired in November 2003, the Bulls were 47-35 and reached the NBA playoffs for the first time since winning the championship in 1998. Skiles is 182-161 in parts of five seasons as a head coach, 66-82 with the Bulls.

Hockey

* The sale of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Henry and Susan Samueli was approved by the NHL's Board of Governors on Thursday.

The board granted unanimous approval pending completion of the sale, which is expected shortly.

Mighty Ducks spokesman Alex Gilchrist said the new owners wouldn't comment until the sale becomes final. The sale for a reported $75 million was announced Feb. 25 and includes Disney Ice, a Mighty Ducks practice facility.

Samueli is co-founder, chairman of the board and chief technical officer of Broadcom Corp. He also owns the company that manages Anaheim Arena, the Mighty Ducks' home ice.