Gary Payton

SuperSonics: Seattle routed Houston, 118-94, on Tuesday night to improve to 2-1 in its first season without star Shawn Kemp, who was traded to Cleveland in the off-season. Vin Baker, who came to Seattle from Milwaukee in the trade, had 20 points, and Gary Payton had 27 points and 12 assists.Knicks: New York got 26 points from Patrick Ewing, and 17 points and 10 rebounds from Chris Mills to beat Boston, 102-70, on Tuesday night. First-year Celtics coach Rick Pitino was facing his former team, which he coached from 1987-89, for the first time since leaving the Knicks to coach at Kentucky.

A delegation from the Miami Heat -- led by coach and team president Pat Riley -- met with Juwan Howard and his agent for three hours early yesterday in an attempt to persuade the free-agent forward to head south.The Heat was the last team to meet with Howard during the initial rounds of talks, which began with the Bullets on Thursday evening and ended with a session with the Heat that ended at 5 a.m. yesterday.Miami is the team with the most money to spend during the free-agent sweepstakes (a reported $13.1 million)

BaseballCincinnati Reds -- Placed P Jose Rijo (inflamed tendon in his right elbow) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Saturday. Purchased the contract of OF Geronimo Berroa from Triple-A Nashville. Recalled P Steve Foster from Nashville. Optioned IF Jeff Branson to Nashville.New York Yankees -- Placed IF Pat Kelly on the 15-day DL. Recalled SS Dave Silvestri from Triple-A Columbus.Oakland Athletics -- Placed IF Scott Brosius on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Saturday. Activated IF Randy Ready from the 15-day DL.BasketballNBA -- Fined Indiana Pacers F Dale Davis $2,000 for throwing a flagrant elbow in a game April 17. Fined Phoenix Suns C Andrew Lang $1,500 for initiating a fight, Seattle SuperSonics F Shawn Kemp $2,000, Seattle G Gary Payton $1,000 and Seattle G Dana Barros $500 for leaving the bench during a game April 14.FootballHouston Oilers -- Signed S Bubba McDowell to a multi-year contract.

(teams in predicted order of finish)Pacific DivisionPhoenix SunsLast season: 62-20, firstCoach: Paul Westphal, 62-20 in one yearNew faces: F A. C. Green, C Joe Kleine, F-C Malcolm MackeyOutlook: A solid team got better with the addition of Green, a strong rebounder, and Kleine, who's not afraid to bang. F Charles Barkley, coming off his MVP season, has said this will be his final season and yearns for a championship ring. If F Cedric Ceballos' fractured foot heals in the next month as expected, he will be asked to fill the role of Richard Dumas, sidelined for the season after a drug relapse.

GOOD SPORT MIA HAMM KICKED OFF THE MIA HAMM foundation in 1999. The foundation raises money to fight bone-marrow diseases. It also runs camps and clinics for young girls interested in soccer. What inspired you to start a foundation? My brother Garrett died from a bone marrow disease. He was an inspiration to me. I want to help other people who have Garrett's condition. I also want to be a role model for girls and help young female athletes. Sports can help girls grow into confident women.

BaseballDiamondbacks: Agreed to terms with IF Danny Klassen and P Clint Sodowsky.Reds: Signed P Scott Winchester, C Jason LaRue and P Ted Rose to one-year contracts.BasketballNBA: Named SuperSonics G Gary Payton Player of the Week.Nets: Signed G Damon Jones.La Crosse (CBA): Moved former Wizards G God Shammgod to inactive reserve list.Rockford (CBA): Traded F Terquin Mott (Coppin State) to La Crosse to complete deal for G Ruben Nembhard.CollegeACC: Named North Carolina G Nikki Teasley (St. John's-Prospect Hall)

Loyola Coach: Scott Hicks, first season at Loyola, ninth overall (131-96). Affiliation: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. 1999-2000 record: 7-21 (4-14 in MAAC). Radio: Home games on WNST (1570 AM). Arena: Reitz Arena (3,000) Consensus MAAC favorite: Niagara. Consensus Loyola prediction: 10th. Starters lost: One. Outlook: A program that has just two winning records in the past 15 seasons hits the rebuilding road again. Hicks, the Greyhounds' sixth coach since 1992, has a solid guard in junior Damien Jenifer (Mervo)

The 1994 All-NBA teams, as voted by a nationwide panel of media, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points:FIRST TEAMForwards -- Scottie Pippen, Chicago (94) 485; Karl Malone, Utah (65) 417.Center -- Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston (68) 433.Guards -- John Stockton, Utah (56) 356; Latrell Sprewell, Golden State (29) 252.SECOND TEAMForwards -- Shawn Kemp, Seattle (17) 211 1/2 ; Charles Barkley, Phoenix (15) 204.Center -- David Robinson, San Antonio (29) 341.Guards -- Mitch Richmond, Sacramento (24)

MIAMI -- The hope, Gary Payton said, is not created by Tuesday's 98-96 victory. Instead, the veteran point guard said, it comes from the fact that the best of the Miami Heat has yet to be put on display in these NBA Finals. "We haven't played a good game for these three games," Payton said, as the Heat looks to even the best-of-seven series in tonight's Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks at AmericanAirlines Arena. "We haven't played a Miami game yet." For as scintillating as Tuesday's Game 3 comeback was, with guard Dwyane Wade scoring 15 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter, the Heat essentially fumbled its way to victory.

Eastern ConferenceForwardsGrant Hill, Detroit, 182,362; Scottie Pippen, Chicago, 85,286; Shawn Kemp, Cleveland, 84,856; Glen Rice, Charlotte, 46,152; Chris Webber, Washington, 44,062; Antoine Walker, Boston, 32,347; Dennis Rodman, Chicago, 31,792; Juwan Howard, Washington, 12,763; Glenn Robinson, Milwaukee, 12,674; Toni Kukoc, Chicago, 12,424.GuardsMichael Jordan, Chicago, 197,370; Penny Hardaway, Orlando, 116,926; Allen Iverson, Philadelphia, 73,435; Tim Hardaway, Miami, 58,706; Damon Stoudamire, Toronto, 25,939; Reggie Miller, Indiana, 25,720; Ray Allen, Milwaukee, 17,501; Mookie Blaylock, Atlanta, 13,880; Steve Smith, Atlanta, 13,779; Terrell Brandon, Milwaukee, 13,571.