Houston Agrees to Trade for Rice

The Houston Rockets agreed to take former Laker forward Glen Rice from the New York Knicks on Friday, completing a three-team trade that was delayed for a week.

The deal, also involving the Dallas Mavericks, had been held up while the Rockets reviewed Rice’s medical records. The Rockets, who had until noon Friday to complete the deal, will receive unspecified future considerations from the Mavericks and Knicks.

A week ago, the Rockets sent Shandon Anderson to the Knicks for Rice. Howard Eisley moved from the Mavericks to the Knicks, and Muggsy Bogues went from the Knicks to the Mavericks.

Motor Sports

Ricky Craven, the final driver to make an attempt, knocked sentimental favorite Bill Elliott off the pole in qualifying for the Pepsi 400 Winston Cup stock car race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Craven gave second-year owner Cal Wells his first pole with a lap of 188.127 mph, about 3 mph slower than Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s top speed at the track last year.

Jimmy Spencer set a track record in winning the pole for the NASCAR Busch Series NAPA 250 at Michigan International Speedway. His lap of 184.824 mph was good enough to beat Ryan Newman .... Joe Ruttman, bidding to become the oldest NASCAR truck series champion at 56, opened defense of last year’s Sears Craftsman 175 victory at Cicero, Ill., by winning the pole with a speed of 115.459 mph.

Tennis

Tuning up for a defense of his U.S. Open title, Marat Safin of Russia moved into the semifinals of the RCA Championships for the second consecutive year by defeating Thomas Enqvist of Sweden, 7-5, 6-4, at Indianapolis. Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, seeded 10th as a wild-card entry, also reached the semifinals, defeating Younes El Aynaoui of Morroco, 7-5, 6-3. Defending champion Gustavo Kuerten saved four match points before defeating Tim Henman, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, and Patrick Rafter got past unseeded Max Mirnyi, 6-3, 7-5 (3).

Top-seeded Andre Agassi fought off Greg Rusedski, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (8), to reach the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at Washington. Ninth-seeded Andy Roddick broke the serve of Marcelo Rios once in each set and advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Monica Seles, playing her second match in five hours, rallied to eliminate second-seeded Justin Henin of Belgium, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, and advanced to the semifinals of the Rogers AT&T; Cup at Toronto. In other quarterfinal matches, top-seeded Jennifer Capriati defeated ninth-seeded Meghann Shaughnessy, 7-5, 6-4; fourth-seeded Serena Williams beat Sandrine Testud, 6-0, 6-2; and Anke Huber beat American qualifier Jennifer Hopkins, 6-4, 6-3. Richard Krajicek and Magnus Norman withdrew from the U.S. Open because of injuries.

Miscellany

Soccer’s European governing body suspended Croatian defender Igor Stimac of Hajduk Split for six matches after a violent clash during last week’s Champions League match against Spanish club Mallorca .... Obeid Al-Dosseri scored with five minutes to play as Saudi Arabia eked out a 1-1 tie with Bahrain in an Asian World Cup qualifying match at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .... Husham Mohammed scored two goals in leading Iraq to a 4-0 victory over Thailand in an Asian World Cup qualifying match at Baghdad.

Haley Cope won the 100-meter backstroke at Clovis, Calif., for her first national swim championship. Peter Marshall won the men’s 100-meter backstroke.

St. Louis Blues forward Pavol Demitra was awarded a two-year, $7.65 million contract through arbitration.

Italy’s track federation suspended 800-meter runner Andrea Longo and marathoner Roberto Barbi for failing drug tests.

Venolyn Clarke, a Canadian sprinter suspended during the World Championships for failing a drug test, said she had not intentionally taken steroids.