Denver Nuggets

1 Boo to you, too: A.J. Burnett starts for the Yankees against the Orioles (1:35 p.m. MASN). Like Mark Teixeira, Burnett has local ties but chose big bucks over B'more. 2 Softball: showdown: Top-ranked Broadneck plays at No. 3 Chesapeake at 4 p.m. in a matchup of Anne Arundel County rivals. 3 Welcome: to Augusta: Tigers Woods (left) begins his quest for a fifth Masters title (4 p.m., ESPN). 4 Best of the West: The top two teams in the NBA's Western Conference meet when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m., TNT)

BasketballHawks: Signed free-agent F LaPhonso Ellis, who had been with the Denver Nuggets.CollegeVanderbilt: Named Herb Paterra linebackers coach.Pub Date: 1/31/99

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers landed the first pick in the 1998 NBA draft at the pingpong ball lottery yesterday in Secaucus, N.J., a pick with which they are expected to select Arizona point guard Mike Bibby.Unless they get an offer from another team they can't refuse.General manager Elgin Baylor wouldn't be specific about his team's choice, but he declared that he is certain he will sign free-agent center Isaac Austin, praised his frontcourt and conceded that there are serious problems in his backcourt where no one was effective last season at playing the point.

DENVER -- A Washington Bullets team that had been picked by many to compete for the Atlantic Division title had been reduced to a laughingstock. Back-to-back blowout losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz -- by a combined 52 points -- were described by some players as the worst losses of their careers. On any level.So when the players, on their way to a morning shootaround yesterday, were told that Jim Lynam had been fired as coach, the news did not come as a total surprise."We had to make a change," Bullets forward Juwan Howard said.

Opponent: Denver NuggetsSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: The Nuggets have dropped eight straight, the longest current losing streak in the league. It has been a season of franchise lows for Denver: fewest offensive rebounds (one), Dec. 5 against Portland; fewest points in a quarter (nine), Dec. 1 against the Lakers; and fewest points in a game (65), Nov. 23 against Portland. The Nuggets also squandered the biggest halftime lead in NBA history (34) in a Nov. 27 loss to Utah.

BaseballCleveland Indians -- Signed P Jim Poole to a minor-league contract.BasketballDenver Nuggets -- Signed G Greg Grant to a 10-day contract. Released G Eldridge Recasner.Los Angeles Lakers -- Signed F Lloyd Daniels and F Randolph Keys for the rest of the season.Phoenix Suns -- Activated G-F Richard Dumas. Placed F Wayman Tisdale (strained left rib) on the injured list.CollegeNCAA -- Reinstated Arizona basketball G Damon Stoudamire.Kentucky -- Named Bernadette Locke-Mattox women's basketball coach.

BaseballChicago White Sox -- Signed P Rob Dibble to a minor-league contract.Cincinnati Reds -- Signed P Pedro Borbon Sr. to a contract.Oakland Athletics -- Signed P Russell Swan, P Joe Warren, P Bruce Arola, P Sid Akins and C Clay Gunn to minor-league contracts.San Francisco Giants -- Announced that P Jeff Pico left camp.Palm Springs Suns (Western League/Independent) -- Named former Los Angeles Dodgers C Steve Yeager catching instructor and coach.BasketballNBA -- Reinstated Houston Rockets G Vernon Maxwell, who served a 10-game suspension for going into the stands and striking a fan. Named Portland Trail Blazers G Rod Strickland Player of the Week.

ArenasFleet Financial Group -- Named the new arena, scheduled to replace Boston Garden next season, FleetCenter.Denver Nuggets -- Announced that the proposed 19,200-seat stadium and entertainment center would be named the Pepsi Center.BaseballBoston Red Sox -- Named Jim Rice hitting coach.BasketballCharlotte Hornets -- Activated F Kenny Gattison from the injured list. Placed former Washington Bullets G Michael Adams on the injured list with a strained left calf.Cleveland Cavaliers -- Activated G Mark Price from the injured list.

BasketballDenver Nuggets -- Announced the resignation of coach Dan Issel. Named Gene Littles coach.CollegeMEAC -- Named Coppin State senior F Michael Thomas men's basketball Player of the Week, Coppin senior C Rene Doctor women's basketball co-Player of the Week and Coppin sophomore G Lisa Briggs women's basketball Rookie of the Week.Florida International -- Announced the resignation of men's basketball coach Bob Weltlich, effective the end of the season.HockeyNew Jersey Devils -- Recalled D Cale Hulse and D Chris McAlpine from AHL Albany.

Opponent: Denver NuggetsSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 6TV/Radio: HTS/WWLG (1360 AM), WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: This is the second of three straight home games for the Bullets -- all against Western Conference teams. Washington is 1-8 against the Western Conference, with the only victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 28. This is the last of a three-game road trip for the Nuggets, who have lost five straight, including last night's loss at Philadelphia. The Bullets lost at Denver, 111-89, on Dec. 10. G Rex Chapman (injured list, broken right thumb)

1 Boo to you, too: A.J. Burnett starts for the Yankees against the Orioles (1:35 p.m. MASN). Like Mark Teixeira, Burnett has local ties but chose big bucks over B'more. 2 Softball: showdown: Top-ranked Broadneck plays at No. 3 Chesapeake at 4 p.m. in a matchup of Anne Arundel County rivals. 3 Welcome: to Augusta: Tigers Woods (left) begins his quest for a fifth Masters title (4 p.m., ESPN). 4 Best of the West: The top two teams in the NBA's Western Conference meet when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m., TNT)

Improper anchoring caused boat accident nfl An agency investigating a deadly boating accident involving two NFL players and their two friends in the Gulf of Mexico concluded it was caused when the vessel was improperly anchored and the boat capsized after one of them tried to throttle forward to pry loose the anchor. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's investigation also cited carelessness and operator inexperience as contributing factors. The errors came when a storm front was moving in, making the water very rough.

Trading a superstar tends to be dicey business, but for many reasons, the Denver Nuggets did a terrific job in flipping Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups. That's not a knock on Iverson, one of the most remarkable athletes of my lifetime (most guys his size never sniff the NBA, much less average 27.7 points over 12 seasons). It's just that the Nuggets got a player who is almost as good, fits their needs better and won't bolt to another team after this season. The Nuggets have a potential big-time scorer in J.R. Smith, who happens to play shooting guard.

For sport fans outside of New England who have had a bellyful of the Red Sox and Patriots, there's some bad news: The Celtics are pretty good, too. Of course, they have been chugging along with the NBA's best record all season, so that's not exactly a news flash. But Boston's raid through Texas this week unequivocally served notice that the Celts are the clear favorite to win the NBA championship. When Boston journeyed into the so-called Texas Triangle, it was San Antonio, Houston and Dallas - three teams that have combined to win two-thirds of their games - who disappeared.

Michael Jordan was in his second NBA season when the 1986 playoffs began. Having been named Rookie of the Year and twice selected to the All-Star team, Jordan had missed all but 18 games that season with a broken foot and went against the wishes of his doctors by suiting up against the Boston Celtics. It was then, in Game 2 of an opening-round three-game sweep for the eventual NBA champion Celtics, that the 23-year-old guard scored a playoff-record 63 points in a 135-131 double-overtime defeat.

NBA playoff matchups Eastern Conference No. 1 Miami Heat (59-23) vs. No. 8 New Jersey Nets (42-40) Series: Heat, 3-0 Outlook: It's the Nets streaking in with Vince Carter and Jason Kidd leading the way. The Heat struggled with a 7-7 finish and Shaquille O'Neal down with a stomach virus and deep right thigh bruise. He says he'll play tomorrow, but should be slower than usual. But the Nets might have spent themselves just getting there. Pick: Heat in six. No. 2 Detroit Pistons (54-28)

EIGHT DAYS before the words "Stop Snitching" became all the media rage in Baltimore, I saw them as I drove with my mother and uncle down Edmondson Avenue. As we were stopped at the intersection of Monroe Street, I looked to my right at the boarded-up house with the wood painted in burgundy. Somebody had spray-painted in white letters: "Stop Snitching." I knew what it meant, of course. I didn't have to wait for the revelation about the DVD called Stop Snitching -- guest-starring Baltimore's own Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets -- to know that something wasn't quite right on the streets of Baltimore.

WASHINGTON - Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik turned his team and franchise over to rookie forward Carmelo Anthony yesterday. It may be a move based on desperation as well as inspiration, but it tells you that Anthony is special. Not too many NBA coaches give the keys to a 19-year-old. Not too many NBA coaches are allowed the time to tilt back the seat, kick up their feet and see where the journey ends. But after a shoot-around yesterday at MCI Center, Bzdelik told Anthony it was time for him to take over a team that had lost eight of its past nine games.

DENVER - Someday, this could be Carmelo Anthony's city. It certainly won't be tomorrow, and it might not be by the end of this NBA season, but, at some point, Anthony may very well have this town eating from the palm of his hand. It's not hard to figure why. Sure, Anthony possesses an abundance of talent that persuaded the Denver Nuggets in June to select the Baltimore native third overall in the NBA draft. And, yes, he comes to the scene at a time when the city - without hockey's Patrick Roy or the mythic John Elway - is without a singular sports hero.

NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony sat with family and friends at the front table for last night's NBA draft at Madison Square Garden, a few feet away from LeBron James and his party. Given Anthony's prime location next to the stage on which he was introduced as the No. 3 overall selection by the Denver Nuggets - behind James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Darko Milicic of the Detroit Pistons - was the NBA suggesting anything about their futures? While not putting any special meaning into his seating, Anthony didn't sidestep the issue of his impending competition with James on and off the court.