Sprewell a Hit in Debut With Cheers, 27 Points

Latrell Sprewell, after receiving a roar of approval in pregame introductions at Madison Square Garden, made his final nine shots and scored 21 of his 27 points in a 12-minute outburst to lead the New York Knicks past the New Jersey Nets, 88-87, Wednesday night.

Not only was it the exhibition opener for both teams, it also was Sprewell’s first NBA game in 14 months. But rather than showing the rust that would be expected, Sprewell performed like the best player on the court.

Sprewell scored 17 points in the third quarter alone, going seven for seven from the field on a mix of jump shots and drives. He added a corner jump shot and a steal and layup in the first 80 seconds of the fourth quarter, then left to a standing ovation and high-fives from teammates .

“I was loving that, they were still behind me and that was good to see,” he said. “To have to guys surround me like they did, it was great.”

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The Vancouver Grizzlies, who have suffered through three dismal seasons in their NBA existence, solidified their future by signing star forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim to a $71-million, six-year contract extension.

Abdur-Rahim, who led the Grizzlies in scoring in his first two seasons, was in the final year of his rookie contract and would have been eligible for free agency after this season. His contract extension is the maximum allowable under the new collective bargaining agreement.

“I just feel blessed and honored,” said Abdur-Rahim, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last month.

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Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley wants to sign Dennis Rodman--if he’ll follow team rules.

That means showing up for practice, and it’s unclear whether the rebounding champion is willing to do that regularly.

“I would issue a challenge to Dennis in this way: I think Dennis is a winner, a rebounder, a defender, and he may still have enough in him to help a young team win a championship,” Riley said in Miami.

Rodman, 37, talked about retirement last week, then said he would play for the league minimum in Miami or Orlando. The Magic have said they’re not interested.

The Heat could offer Rodman only $1 million this season.

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Buck Williams, one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, announced his retirement after a 17-year career.

Williams, who spent the last two years with the Knicks after playing seven seasons in Portland and eight in New Jersey, was one of the league’s most durable and consistent big men.

“It’s been a tremendous journey, but the time has come for me to move on and do other things with my life,” Williams, 38, said in New York.

Williams, the rookie of the year in 1981-82 and a three-time all-star, retires in fourth place on the league’s list of games played (1,307), eighth in minutes (42,464) and 10th in rebounds (13,017).

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Guard Kerry Kittles of the New Jersey Nets will be sidelined three to five weeks because of torn cartilage in his right knee. . . . The Dallas Mavericks re-signed forward Cedric Ceballos, 29, to a one-year contract. . . . Houston Rocket forward Antoine Carr is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a knee injury in Tuesday’s preseason victory over the San Antonio Spurs. . . . Free agent Gheorghe Muresan, who sat out last season after undergoing surgery to repair a pinched nerve in his back, failed his physical with the Charlotte Hornets, although the team might still offer the 7-7 center a contract. . . . The Boston Celtics signed 7-footer Eric Riley. . . . Forwards Martin Muursepp and Bubba Wells, acquired only last week by the Chicago Bulls from the Phoenix Suns in the deal for Luc Longley, were waived as the team signed 7-4, 325-pound center Priest Lauderdale.