In Brief

BASKETBALL

Lakers' Bynum out of lineup
until at least late November

Although Andrew Bynum showed up on time for training camp with the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers, he'll be back on the court even later than his coach expected.

The Lakers' starting center said Saturday he won't play until at least late November while recovering from surgery on his right knee.

Bynum had his knee drained twice during the playoffs and a third time after Los Angeles won its second straight title. He then postponed surgery so he could make a trip to Europe and South Africa, attending the World Cup and going on safari.

Bynum's teammates said they aren't worried about his absence after a short offseason. The Lakers opened camp in El Segundo, Calif., earlier than normal to prepare for a European tour next month.

Also: Charlotte Bobcats center Kwame Brown will miss four to six weeks after severely spraining his left ankle in a pickup game.

Brown was injured Thursday in a workout before the start of training camp. The team is calling it a third-degree sprain, and Brown is wearing a protective boot. The injury could mean Brown won't be ready for the start of the regular season.

Diana Taurasi scored 15 points to help the United States beat France 81-60 and finish first in Group B at the women's basketball world championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Candice Dupree and Tina Charles each added 10 points for the Americans (3-0). Both teams advanced to the second round, which begins Monday.

MOTOR SPORTS

Funny Car driver Wilkerson
paces qualifying at NHRA event

Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson raced to his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season at the NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas.

Wilkerson had 4.079-second run at 305.77 mph on the all-concrete strip in the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs

Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) led their respective divisions.

Also: Ferrari's Fernando Alonso captured his second straight Formula One pole, leading the top five drivers in the championship standings onto the front of the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Alonso, who won the inaugural Singapore GP in 2008, beat out Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

Two-time Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan was killed after crashing during the Colin McRae Rally, prompting organizers to cancel the race in Glasgow, Scotland. Girvan's car hit boulders, left the road and hit trees. The 56-year-old driver died at the scene.

His navigator and co-sponsor, Mike Ramsay, was cut free and taken to a hospital. Police said his injuries were not serious.

MISCELLANEOUS

Cochran fires 67 to build lead
in Champions Tour tournament

Russ Cochran shot 5-under-par 67 in the SAS Championship to increase his lead to four strokes, the largest 36-hole margin in the history of the Champions Tour event in Cary. N.C.

Cochran posted a 13-under 141 total, with Ted Schulz (68) at 135.

Also: John Parry of England shot 2-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Vivendi Cup in Chambourcy, France. Parry, a 23-year-old chasing his first European PGA Tour win, was at 15-under 201, one shot ahead of Mark Haastrup of Denmark (66) and Johan Edfors of Sweden (67).

UNLV freshmen Lucia Batta and Aleksandra Josifoska earned singles wins to reach the Flight One final in the UNLV Fall Invitational at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

Batta beat top-seeded Krista Damica of Texas 6-2, 6-1, and Josifoska beat teammate Jana Albers 6-1, 7-6 in the semifinals. Josifoska will also play in today's Flight One doubles final with teammate Nives Pavlovic.

Two more Rebels, Anna Maskaljun and Adrienn Hidvegi, will meet in the Flight Three final.

Apart used a strong stretch run to easily win the Super Derby, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute, 52.31 seconds at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.

Apart, ridden by Jesse Campbell, was fourth at the final turn of the Grade II, $500,000 race for 3-year-olds. He then swung wide, charged to the lead and won going away ahead of runner-up Distorted Economy. Hurricane Ike finished third.

Chelsea's 5-0 start to the English Premier League season ended with a 1-0 loss at Manchester City. In other action, Arsenal lost to West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in London.

Herculez Gomez, a former Las Vegas High School standout, scored his first goal for Pachuca in a 3-1 Mexican League win over Estudientes in Mexico City.

The 28-year-old Gomez, a member of the U.S. World Cup team, entered in the 77th minute and scored in the 83rd to give Pachuca a three-goal lead and help end a seven-game winless streak.