IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

Spurs get Thomas in trade with SuperSonics

The San Antonio Spurs acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

The 6-foot-9-inch Thomas, in his 13th NBA season, gives the Spurs much-needed size to complement Tim Duncan. In 42 games with the SuperSonics, Thomas averaged 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Barry has been sidelined the last few weeks by a calf injury.

Also: Coach Maurice Cheeks and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2008-09 season.

Cheeks, a four-time All-Star point guard during 15 seasons in the NBA, helped the 76ers to the NBA title in 1983.

Devin Harris says it could be two more weeks before he makes his debut with the New Jersey Nets.

Harris, part of the trade that sent Jason Kidd to Dallas, will replace Kidd at point guard, but a nagging ankle injury has had him sidelined the past three weeks.

Having lost its final appeal, Ohio State will pay former coach Jim O'Brien almost $3 million for wrongfully firing him.

The Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear Ohio State's appeal of the coach's lawsuit against the university, signaling an end to a lengthy court battle.

Tom Asbury was introduced as the coach at Pepperdine, marking his second stint at the university.

Asbury, 62, compiled a 125-59 record at Pepperdine from 1989 to 1994.

Vance Walberg resigned Jan. 18 and was replaced by interim coach Eric Bridgeland, who will remain on the job for the rest of the season.

HOCKEY

Red Wings' Lidstrom might miss three weeks

Detroit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom expects to be out for three weeks with an injured right knee.

The five-time Norris Trophy winner says his knee is sore after being slammed into the boards Monday by Colorado's Ian Laperrier.

Also: Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne might not play again this season because of lingering symptoms from the three concussions he sustained this season.

MISCELLANEOUS

UNLV men's golf one shot off lead in Hawaii

The No. 24 UNLV men's golf team was tied for fourth place after shooting 9-under-par 279 in the first round of the John A. Burns Intercollegiate in Wahiawa, Hawaii.

The Rebels were tied with Southern Methodist, one shot behind co-leaders Auburn, Arizona and San Diego State.

Auburn's Jay Moseley, Arizona's Tarquin Macmanus and San Diego State's Johan Carlsson were tied for the individual lead at 6-under 66.

UNLV sophomore Eddie Olson was one shot back at 67.

Also: The possible unification of America's two open-wheel racing series was in the hands of the lawyers, working out the final details of a deal that could re-energize the struggling sport.

Rather than a merger, the proposed deal, which could be announced Friday, would see some teams from the Champ Car World Series blended into the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series.

The International Cycling Union might take legal action against Tour de France organizers in a bid to overturn their decision to bar Alberto Contador from defending his title in July.

UCI president Pat McQuaid said Tour organizer ASO took an "arbitrary, absurd decision" to exclude Contador's Astana team from the 2008 race following doping scandals in the past two years.

Contador won last year's Tour for the now-disbanded Discovery Channel team and has since joined Astana.