IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

Ex-NBA ref Donaghy violates probation

Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was back behind bars Tuesday, accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Donaghy, 42, was being held without bond a day after his arrest at a halfway house in Tampa, Fla., where he was finishing his 15-month sentence for gambling charges.

"He was supposed to be at work and he was somewhere else," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Ron Lindbak, who didn't know any more details.

Also: Free agent forward Joe Smith is the Atlanta Hawks' free-agent answer to the team's lack of inside depth.

The Hawks signed Smith, a 14-year veteran and unrestricted free agent.

The 6-foot-10-inch, 225-pound Smith will join center Zaza Pachulia as the top inside backups behind starters Al Horford and Josh Smith for the Hawks. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in the regular season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed rookie forward Danny Green, their second-round pick in this year's NBA Draft.

MISCELLANEOUS

No. 1 U.S. Open seed: It's Safina over Serena

Defending champion Serena Williams was seeded No. 2 for the U.S. Open, behind Dinara Safina, because the tournament stuck to its policy of strictly following the rankings.

Roger Federer was seeded No. 1 for the fifth time at the year's last Grand Slam tournament. He is ranked No. 1 and has won the U.S. Open five years in a row.

Safina is No. 1 in the WTA computer, which calculates rankings based on performances across tournaments over the preceding 52 weeks. The younger sister of former men's No. 1 Marat Safin is still seeking her first Grand Slam title. She is 0-3 in major finals, including a loss to Williams at the Australian Open in January.

Williams has won three of the past four Grand Slam singles championships and 11 overall, the most among active women. She will be seeking her fourth U.S. Open title.

Also: A group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf has pulled out of the possible purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes just as the NHL filed a bid in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to buy the team and keep it in Arizona.

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird still needs medical clearance before he runs in Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Mine That Bird had minor throat surgery last week.

UNLV golfers Derek Ernst (74-73--147) and Brett Kanda (71-76--147) qualified for match play at the U.S. Amateur in Tulsa, Okla.

The pair finished stroke play tied for 45th. The top 64 players from stroke play advanced to today's first round of match play.

UNLV wide receiver Rodelin Anthony (concussion) returned to practice, but tailback C.J. Cox (hamstring) and offensive lineman Doug Zismann (concussion) sat out.

Cox's absence possibly increases the chance of Channing Trotter starting the Sept. 5 season opener against Sacramento State at Sam Boyd Stadium. Coach Mike Sanford said a decision might come later this week.

Zismann is expected to return to practice today.

The defense attorney for a man accused of killing an Iowa high school football coach in June says her client suffers from hallucinations and is not competent to stand trial.

Coach Ed Thomas was shot on June 24 in a weight room in front of about 20 students at Aplington-Parkersburg High School. Twenty-four-year-old Mark Becker, a former player, is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying.