New York Knicks

HOUSTON -- New York Knicks swingman Willie Anderson was arrested on a contempt of court charge last night, apparently stemming from a failure to pay child support.Anderson, 29, was arrested without incident at the Summit before the Knicks-Rockets game, the Harris County Constable's Department said.There was an outstanding warrant for Anderson's arrest, and he is being held on $130,000 bail.Pub Date: 3/27/96

The phenomenal debut of New York Knicks' rookie Jeremy Lin -- a Harvard-educated Asian-American -- has stunned the basketball world. Lin was not offered a Division I scholarship, went undrafted after college, and was cut by two NBA teams this season. But he was picked up by the Knicks, and after warming the bench for a bit, has led the team to six straight wins. According to ESPN, in his first five games as a starter, he scored more points than any other NBA rookie -- including Shaq.

The Miami Heat is the worst team in the NBA at 11-52, so I managed to resist the temptation to head over to the AmericanAirlines Arena on Wednesday night to see a scintillating matchup against the New York Knicks, another Miami loss. The hapless Knicks get way more negative publicity, but the Shaq-less Heat is beyond bad, especially with Dwyane Wade sidelined with a knee injury. The good news: It's not hard to get tickets.

The Miami Heat is the worst team in the NBA at 11-52, so I managed to resist the temptation to head over to the AmericanAirlines Arena on Wednesday night to see a scintillating matchup against the New York Knicks, another Miami loss. The hapless Knicks get way more negative publicity, but the Shaq-less Heat is beyond bad, especially with Dwyane Wade sidelined with a knee injury. The good news: It's not hard to get tickets.

The Washington Bullets will play two games against the world champion Chicago Bulls to highlight their eight-game preseason schedule in October.They face Michael Jordan and the Bulls in Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 18, and meet again four days later in Knoxville, Tenn.There will also be a homecoming for coach Wes Unseld, center/forward Pervis Ellison and rookie guard LaBradford Smith when the Bullets play the Utah Jazz at Freedom Hall in Louisville. All three are Louisville graduates.The itinerary begins Oct. 13 with a game against the New York Knicks at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. The Bullets will travel to the Bahamas Oct. 20 to play the Miami Heat.

VS. NEW YORK KNICKS* WHEN: Tonight, 7:30.* WHERE: Madison Square Garden.* TV: Channel 20.* OUTLOOK: The Bullets' media guide says "We've got a few scores to settle." That is never truer than tonight, when Washington (22-33) tries to avenge Saturday's last-second loss to these same Knicks (24-31) and pick up some ground on the team holding the eighth and last Eastern Division playoff spot. The point guards will be the focus as Darrell Walker returns for the Bullets after a 10-game absence due to a strained knee and the Knicks' Mark Jackson will be back after a two-game suspension and $43,000 fine from Knicks coach John MacLeod for "insubordination."

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7:30TV/Radio: HTS, WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Knicks have lost two of their past three games and appear to be torn by dissension. F Anthony Mason and coach Pat Riley exchanged words on the bench during Tuesday's win over the Denver Nuggets. Riley told Mason to leave the bench, and yesterday suspended him. Still, the Knicks are second in the Atlantic Division and are 2-0 against the Bullets this season. Washington has won two of its past three, but is coming off Tuesday's loss to the Chicago Bulls.

After two-plus seasons as Atlanta Hawks coach and one as an assistant with the New York Knicks, Lon Kruger could be forgiven if he'd lost his postseason touch. But Kruger's son, Kevin, found his yesterday with three straight three-pointers to spark seventh seed Nevada-Las Vegas to a 74-68 upset of No. 2 seed Wisconsin. Kevin, you got an agent yet? After Texas' 87-68 loss to Southern California, the season is over for freshman sensation Kevin Durant, so maybe Dick Vitale could pass along leftover superlatives to Charles Barkley for use in next season's NBA telecasts.

AthleticsU.S. Sports Academy -- Named Joseph Purcell executive director of development and legal counsel.BaseballAtlanta Braves -- Agreed to terms with 1B Brian Hunter on a one-year contract.Orioles -- Signed P Arthur Rhodes, OF Luis Mercedes and SS Manny Alexander to one-year contracts.Cincinnati Reds -- Agreed to terms with P Chris Hammond on a one-year contract.Kansas City Royals -- Signed P Chuck Mount and P Ricky Rojas to minor-league contracts.Oakland Athletics -- Signed C Eric Helfand and OF Marcos Armas to one-year contracts.

BasketballNew York Knicks -- Acquired F Tony Campbell from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a conditional second-round draft choice.CollegesClemson -- Removed admissions dean B.J. Skelton, the secretary-treasurer of the NCAA, from the school's athletic academic certification process following rule violations in the basketball program.FootballDallas Cowboys -- Released DL Danny Noonan. Activated C Mark Stepnoski.HockeyBoston Bruins -- Returned G Marcel Cousineau to Beauport of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

After two-plus seasons as Atlanta Hawks coach and one as an assistant with the New York Knicks, Lon Kruger could be forgiven if he'd lost his postseason touch. But Kruger's son, Kevin, found his yesterday with three straight three-pointers to spark seventh seed Nevada-Las Vegas to a 74-68 upset of No. 2 seed Wisconsin. Kevin, you got an agent yet? After Texas' 87-68 loss to Southern California, the season is over for freshman sensation Kevin Durant, so maybe Dick Vitale could pass along leftover superlatives to Charles Barkley for use in next season's NBA telecasts.

SAN ANTONIO - Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt is still very much a New Yorker, from his accent to his body language to his favorite pro team. Though he gets kidded about the plight of the Knicks these days, the NBA team's rich history is still a part of the approach Hewitt takes in teaching his Yellow Jackets. "Most people don't appreciate the way the game is supposed to be played." Hewitt said yesterday, as he got Georgia Tech ready for the first NCAA championship game in school history.

WASHINGTON - It had to happen. Sooner or later, if the Washington Wizards continued to stack bad performances atop each other, they would set a mark for team futility. The moment came with last night's 89-82 loss to the New York Knicks at MCI Center, a defeat - the fifth straight and the 14th in the past 15 games - that established this team as the worst in the 39-year history of the franchise at this stage of the season (5-24), knocking the 1966-67 Baltimore Bullets, who lost 23 of their first 29 games, out of the record book.

INDIANAPOLIS - There came a point when it appeared that the New York Knicks' strategy was to keep daring Austin Croshere to shoot. The more they dared, the more the 6-foot-10 reserve made the Knicks look foolish. Croshere scored a team-high 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and Dale Davis added 14points and 16rebounds as the Indiana Pacers opened the Eastern Conference finals with a wire-to-wire, 102-88 victory last night. The Knicks, accustomed to focusing on just one or two offensive threats in the first two rounds against the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat, couldn't cope with the many Pacers who all had their touch.

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: After struggles early in the season, the Knicks have won 12 of their past 14. The surge has been led by C Patrick Ewing, who has discovered success in attacking the basket after making a career of shooting fadeaway jumpers. The Knicks also are benefiting from the play of G Chris Childs, who began the season on the injured list and wasn't activated until Nov. 19. The Bullets had won three straight until Monday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

As Michael Jordan surveys the NBA's changing landscape, he sees the results of perhaps the biggest off-season upheaval in league history, which involved Shaquille O'Neal signing a $121 million deal to turn the Los Angeles Lakers into a potential league power, Charles Barkley going to Houston to help the Rockets regain their championship touch, and Larry Johnson and Allan Houston joining the rejuvenated New York Knicks.All were moves made, in part, to help their new teams topple the Chicago Bulls.

HOUSTON -- New York Knicks swingman Willie Anderson was arrested on a contempt of court charge last night, apparently stemming from a failure to pay child support.Anderson, 29, was arrested without incident at the Summit before the Knicks-Rockets game, the Harris County Constable's Department said.There was an outstanding warrant for Anderson's arrest, and he is being held on $130,000 bail.Pub Date: 3/27/96