NEWSWIRE : Knicks’ Rivers, Hurt Against Lakers, Sidelined for Season

Point guard Doc Rivers of the New York Knicks will be sidelined for the remainder of the season because of torn ligaments in his left knee, suffered during Thursday night’s victory over the Lakers. The Knicks said Friday that Rivers will have reconstructive surgery this month.

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Forward Chris Mills of the Cavaliers was released from a Cleveland hospital after tests prompted by an irregular heartbeat Thursday night.

World Scene

Two-time gold medalist Katarina Witt launched her Olympic comeback bid by finishing second in the short-program portion of the German national skating championships at Herne.

Markus Foser of Liechtenstein scored his country’s first men’s World Cup downhill victory at Val Gardena, Italy.

Ukrainian-born soccer star Sergey Cherbakov was in stable condition after a four-hour operation in Lisbon aimed at restoring movement to his legs following a near-fatal auto crash.

College Football

Defensive end Jayson Gwinn of Ohio State was legally drunk when he was killed in an auto accident Sunday morning, a coroner’s report showed.

Barry Alvarez, who led Wisconsin to a 9-1-1 record and a Rose Bowl berth, won the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year award.

Miscellany

Virgil Hill became the most successful light-heavyweight ever, winning a record 15th title defense with a unanimous decision over Guy Waters of Australia at Minot, N.D. . . . Michael Nunn weighed in seven pounds over the limit a day before he was due to fight Merqui Sosa in Puebla, Mexico. Nunn will lose his World Boxing Assn. super-middleweight title if he doesn’t make weight. . . . Juan Coggi stopped Eder Gonzalez of Colombia in the seventh round at Tucuman, Argentina, to retain his WBA junior-welterweight title.

Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal was fined $5,000 by the NBA for a flagrant foul against Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics. . . . Golfer Tiger Woods of Anaheim Western High and volleyball/basketball player Kristin Folkl of St. Louis will receive the Dial Award for high school senior athletes. . . . Steve Elkington shot a six-under-par 65, including a 17th-hole eagle, to tie Larry Mize for the lead at the halfway point of the $2.7-million Johnnie Walker World Championship at Montego Bay, Jamaica. . . . The New Jersey Supreme Court killed what was considered the casino industry’s last hope for bringing sports betting to Atlantic City.