Rockets’ Taylor Could Miss Season

Maurice Taylor, the Houston Rocket forward who recently signed a six-year, $48-million contract, injured his right Achilles’ tendon while working out in Michigan and could miss the season.

Taylor, injured in a pick-up game, was in a wheelchair when he arrived in Houston Tuesday night. Team physician Dr. Walter Lowe said he wanted to see the level of the tear before making predictions on recovery.

Taylor averaged 13 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Rockets last season.

Sean Elliott, who returned to the NBA after a kidney transplant, signed a two-year contract to be a television analyst for the San Antonio Spurs.

The contract does not necessarily mean the 33-year-old forward is done playing basketball, his agent said.

Total attendance for the WNBA was a record 2,528,898 for the regular season and playoffs. However, average regular-season attendance dropped to 9,075, the third consecutive decline from the peak of 10,869 in 1998.

Network television ratings also dropped, with games on NBC pulling 1.1 this year compared with 1.5 a year ago.

Goodwill Games

After being charged with one of three false starts in the 100 meters at the Goodwill Games at Brisbane, Australia, Marion Jones sped to victory over world champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block in a meet-record 10.84 seconds.

Had a proposed rule disqualifying a sprinter after one false start been in effect, it would have eliminated Jones, Pintusevich-Block, the runner-up at 11.01, and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas, third at 11.13.

Gail Devers won the women’s 100 hurdles in 12.61. Russia’s Olga Yegorova won the women’s 5,000.

The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Argentina, 97-67.

In beach volleyball, Americans Kevin Wong and Stein Metzger won the men’s bronze medal, and Americans Barbra Fontana and Elaine Youngs won the women’s bronze.

Hockey

The Kings signed defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to a two-year contract, plus a club option. No terms were announced, but the deal includes a base salary, with incentives for scoring and games played. Visnovsky, 25, made $500,000 last season as a rookie.

Goalie Felix Potvin is the team’s only unsigned player.

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The Mighty Ducks signed defenseman Niclas Havelid to a two-year deal. Terms were not announced. Havelid made $425,000 last season. He had four goals and 14 points last season, but missed the last 35 games after undergoing knee surgery.

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The New York Islanders have called a news conference for today to announce the signing of Alexei Yashin to the biggest contract package in NHL history. The Russian center, who joined New York in a June trade with Ottawa, is expected to receive a 10-year deal worth about $90 million.

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Theo Fleury, 33, has been cleared to take part in team activities after leaving the New York Rangers in February to enter a substance-abuse program.

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The Red Wings re-signed left wing Tomas Holmstrom to a three-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.

Miscellany

The father of star Little League pitcher Danny Almonte has been charged with falsifying a birth certificate to show his son was 12, officials in the Dominican Republic said.

Felipe de Jesus Almonte “will be arrested as soon as he sets foot in this country,” said Victor Romero, the public records official in charge of examining birth records to determine Danny Almonte’s age.

If convicted, the father could face three to five years in jail.

Dominican school officials also disclosed that Danny finished seventh grade on June 15 at the Andres Bello Primary School, which would have prevented the boy from playing the required six games to qualify for the Little League championships.

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Busch series points leader Kevin Harvick and three others drivers were penalized by NASCAR for their actions at Darlington Raceway. Harvick was fined $10,000, Chad Little was fined $5,000 and both were placed on probation until Dec. 31 for fighting in the garage after Saturday’s race. Rich Bickle and rookie Scott Wimmer also were fined .... The U.S. Naval Academy hired University of Houston Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk to head the school’s athletic department .... Boston College basketball Coach Al Skinner received a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the Eagles until the 2007-08 season .... French sprinter Christophe Cheval was suspended for two years after testing positive for steroids at last month’s world championships.