Hornets Complete Renovation of Backcourt by Signing Phills

The Charlotte Hornets signed free-agent shooting guard Bobby Phills to a seven-year, $33-million contract Tuesday.

Phills, who played his first six NBA seasons in Cleveland, is expected to play alongside point guard David Wesley, who last month left Boston to sign a seven-year, $22-million deal with the Hornets.

Phills, 27, has career averages of 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His best statistical season was 1995-96, when he averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He is also considered one of the top defensive guards in the NBA.

Charlotte’s backcourt rotation last season included 32-year-old Muggsy Bogues, 33-year-old Dell Curry, 37-year-old Ricky Pierce and 24-year-old rookie Tony Delk.

To make room for Phills, the Hornets waived Pierce and renounced their rights to power forward Malik Rose, their second-round draft choice in 1996.

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The Vancouver Grizzlies signed Antonio Daniels, a point guard from Bowling Green and the fourth pick in the draft, to a three-year, $1.7-million contract.

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James Keating, who failed to report to work as Ventura College basketball coach as scheduled last week, said he changed his mind because of a profanity-laced tirade by a Ventura teacher that occurred within earshot of Keating’s wife and two children.

Phil Passno, a longtime physical education teacher at the school, whom Keating claims verbally accosted him, told the Star of Ventura County he has been put on paid leave and told to take a psychological evaluation but was not told why. He has denied Keating’s allegation.

Glen Hefferman, formerly of Columbia College in Sonora, has since been named coach at the school.

Hockey

For the second time in a week, the NHL has ruled in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers in a dispute over which team holds the rights to restricted free agent Chris Gratton.

Commissioner Gary Bettman decided that the trade, which would have sent Gratton from Tampa Bay to Chicago, was not consummated before the Flyers submitted an offer sheet to the restricted free agent.

Flyer General Manager Bobby Clarke maintained that the offer was legitimate and had preceded the Chicago trade. The Philadelphia offer includes a $9-million signing bonus.

The Lightning’s negated deal reportedly included Ethan Moreau, Steve Dubinsky, Keith Carney and cash for Gratton.

The Kings agreed to contracts with assistant coaches Rick Green, Jay Leach and Don Edwards.

Miscellany

Roger Tambellini, a senior at USC, shot a three-under-par 69 to top the 64 match-play qualifiers in the 97th U.S. Amateur Championship at Lemont, Ill. Jin Park of Fullerton (75-70) was the only Orange County golfer to reach the match-play portion.

Pete Sampras seeking his fifth U.S. Open tennis crown and third in succession, and 16-year-old Martina Hingis were seeded first in the U.S. Open singles.

Michael Chang was seeded second among the men, followed by Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia.

The women’s seedings follow the WTA rankings. Two-time U.S. Open winner Monica Seles is seeded second, followed by Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic and Iva Majoli of Croatia.

Jeff Tarango defeated Alex O’Brien, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, in the opening round of the MFS Pro Championships at Brookline, Mass.

Forward Raul Diaz Arce, 27, and defender Mario Gori, 24, two D.C. United soccer players arrested this weekend on sexual assault charges sat out Tuesday night’s 2-0 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal victory against the Tampa Bay Mutiny at RFK Stadium.

Gail Bowar-Hyster, a legal secretary for sports agent Ron Simon has been charged with embezzling about $580,000 from her boss and his clients, including Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins and former Twin Kent Hrbek. The federal indictment said Bowar-Hyster made checks from their accounts payable to herself, forged Simon’s signature and deposited them into her personal savings account between 1982 and 1996.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Spice Girls won the national championship of Bobbysox Softball in the 9-and-under age bracket with a 2-0 victory over a team from San Diego County in Buena Park.

Pitcher Brooke Carroll of Coto de Caza won four of the five games in the tournament. Outfielder Jessica Biernacki and shortstop Jessie Campbell, both of Rancho Santa Margarita, drove in the runs in Tuesday’s final.