Rockets’ Mack Involved in Fatal Jet-Ski Accident

A jet-driven personal watercraft piloted by Houston Rocket reserve forward Sam Mack on Lake Michigan struck and killed his friend, whose jet-ski had stopped in front of him, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.

The accident occurred about 5 p.m. Wednesday when the craft piloted by Thaddeus Williams, 37, apparently stalled about 100 yards from the Chicago shore.

Mack, piloting a larger jet-ski behind Williams, was unable to turn in time and slammed into him, Coast Guard officials said.

Williams was taken to Trinity Hospital in Chicago and later transferred to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. Mack was not injured, and alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the accident, the Coast Guard said.

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The Vancouver Grizzlies acquired veteran power forward Otis Thorpe, 35, from the Detroit Pistons for a future No. 1 draft choice. The Grizzlies also renounced their rights to point guard Greg Anthony. . . . Guard Eddie Johnson, 38, will be back with the Houston Rockets for his 16th NBA season after reaching agreement on a one-year $327,000 deal with the team.

Golf

Sonny Skinner, who played the last four years on the Nike Tour, shot a 10-under-par 62 to tie the Buick Open record and leads second-place Nolan Henke by four shots at Grand Blanc, Mich. Tiger Woods, the Masters champion, had five bogeys in his even-par round of 72; U.S. Open champion Ernie Els shot a 68 and British Open champion Justin Leonard had a 70.

Chris Johnson and Joan Pitcock each shot four-under 68s and share the first-round lead at the LPGA Friendly’s Classic at Agawam, Mass. . . . Italy’s Silvia Cavalleri birdied the 18th hole and the first extra hole to upset Colombian star Marisa Baena in the quarterfinals of the 97th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Newton, Mass.

Tennis

Unseeded Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands upset third-seeded Goren Ivanisevic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-4, in the third round of the $2.3-million ATP Championship at Mason, Ohio.

In other matches, Thomas Muster of Austria defeated Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Pete Sampras edged Patrick Rafter of Australia, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, and Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil defeated Vince Spadea, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4.

Soccer

Wellington Sanchez scored the only goal on a breakaway in the 83rd minute to give Ecuador a 1-0 victory over the United States before 13,629 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

Hockey

As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have matched Toronto’s contract offer to 21-year old Swedish defenseman Mattias Ohlund.

The offer sheet Joe Sakic signed with the New York Rangers includes a $15-million signing bonus, which may be unprecedented in sports, as part of the three-year $21-million deal.

Jurisprudence

A jury cleared three of the four defendants in England’s long-running soccer match-fixing case--players John Fashanu and Hans Segers and a Malaysian businessman, Heng Suan Lim. Goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar was cleared on one charge of fixing games, but must await a decision on a final similar count.

Miscellany

Olympic gold medal-winner archer Butch Johnson and fellow Olympian Janet Dykman won their second consecutive titles at the 113th U.S. National Target Championships in Canton. Mich. Justin Huish of Simi Valley, the double gold medal winner at the Atlanta Games, finished second to Johnson. . . . All coaches in Canada’s top junior hockey program would require background checks, and players could report abuses via a toll-free hot line under recommendations made in response to a sexual-abuse scandal.

A bus carrying a youth baseball team from the border city of Mexicali to the national championship crashed in northern Mexico, killing three children and an adult, police said. . . . A preliminary autopsy has revealed the Mississippi State tailback Keffer McGee, who drowned Tuesday night in an apartment complex swimming pool, had a blockage of the left coronary artery, a Jackson (Miss.) television station reported. . . . The Music City Bowl signed a four-year deal with ESPN.

Disabled and able-bodied athletes will compete together in the National Disabled Foundation Athletic Festival from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Griffith Park. Details: (800) 869-5422. . . . Two teams from Los Angeles will be represented at the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Innercities) World Series, which will be held Aug. 10-15 in Denver.