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Allen Agrees to Seattle Deal Worth $85 Million

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

All-Star guard Ray Allen agreed to a five-year, $85-million contract extension with the Seattle SuperSonics, his agent said Tuesday.

Allen cannot sign the deal until the free-agent signing period begins July 22, but agent Lon Babby said Allen plans on signing the contract at the first available moment.

The contract includes $80 million in salary and $5 million in bonuses, although terms of the bonuses and the yearly breakdown of salary haven’t been determined.

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SuperSonic spokesman Marc Moquin said the team couldn’t comment on the agreement.

“We did wander in the desert for a while, before we got to the promised land,” Babby said on a conference call.

Allen earned about $14 million last season. The two sides tried to negotiate a deal during the regular season but couldn’t reach an agreement.

Allen averaged a career-high 23.9 points last season, 10th best in the NBA.

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Larry Brown’s agent, Joe Glass, and Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, spoke about the coach’s future with the team but did not reach a resolution.

Brown checked into a hospital last week for treatment of a problem that developed from complications after hip surgery in November.

The Hall of Fame coach has said that if doctors deem him healthy enough, he wants to return next season with the Pistons.

Dumars has said Brown would be welcomed back.

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NBA team owners ratified the proposed collective bargaining agreement, which still must be approved by the players.

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Owners approved the six-year labor agreement that, among other things, establishes a 19-year-old minimum age to play in the league, shortens player contracts, calls for a stricter drug policy and sets a higher salary cap for teams.

The union’s executive committee ratified the agreement in principle June 28.

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Center Obinna Ekezie was waived by the Atlanta Hawks.... The Denver Nuggets signed first-round draft picks Julius Hodge of North Carolina State and Linas Kleiza of Missouri to multiyear contracts. Terms were not disclosed.

Track and Field

Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia broke her world record in the women’s pole vault, clearing 16 feet 2 inches in the Athletissima Grand Prix track meet at Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Olympic champion had set the previous world record of 16-1 3/4 at Brussels in September.

Tennis

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia dropped out of the Swiss Open at Gstaad because of an injured wrist during his first-round match against Sargis Sargsian of Armenia.

Davydenko won the first set, 6-1, and was leading 1-0 in the second when he retired.

Second-seeded Gaston Gaudio of Argentina began his quest for a fourth title this season by defeating wild-card George Bastl of Switzerland, 7-5, 6-2, and third-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic defeated wild card Yves Allegro of Switzerland, 7-6 (6), 6-1.

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Potito Starace of Italy defeated two-time champion Jiri Novak, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5, after their match was postponed by rain Monday tied one set apiece.

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Top-seeded Rafael Nadal, fourth-seeded Carlos Moya and fifth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero moved into the second round of the Swedish Open at Bastad, putting eight Spanish players in the final 16.

Nadal defeated doubles partner Juan Monaco, 6-1, 6-1; Moya defeated countryman Alex Calatrava, 7-5, 6-2; and Ferrero defeated qualifier Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-1.

Defending two-time champion Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina beat Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

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Top-seeded Taylor Dent powered his way into the second round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport, R.I., with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over Amer Delic.

Defending champion Greg Rusedski defeated Uros Vico, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; wild card Andrew Murray, an 18-year-old from Scotland, defeated Gregory Carraz of France, 6-4, 7-5; and eighth-seeded James Blake was upset by Anthony Dupuis of France, 6-2, 6-4.

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Miscellany

The United States diving team will have former Olympic platform champion Laura Wilkinson and three other Olympians among its 14 members at the world championships July 17-24 in Montreal.

The other Olympians selected for the meet were Cassandra Cardinell in synchronized platform and brothers Justin and Troy Dumais in synchronized three-meter springboard.

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Two jockeys were in critical condition after spills at Texas tracks.

Casey Lambert, 39, broke his jaw and several ribs, and suffered a punctured lung in a three-horse fall at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie on Monday. He’s at a Dallas hospital.

Akili Gray was in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio with head injuries after he was thrown during a race Saturday at Fredericksburg’s Gillespie County Fairgrounds.

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The 2005-06 nonconference schedule of the Loyola Marymount men’s basketball team includes four teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last season. The Lions open against Brigham Young on Nov. 18, play host to Montana on Nov. 21, travel to Washington on Nov. 25, then play Iowa State in the Rainbow Classic in December.

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Tommie Smith, the 1968 Olympic champion in the 200 meters, has been selected spokesman for the 12th annual PacifiCare Keep L.A. Running Charity 5K/10K Run, 5K Walk and Bike Ride, to be held Sunday at Exposition Park.

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