Crawford reinstated as NBA ref

NBA referee Joey Crawford was reinstated by Commissioner David Stern on Monday, five months after he was suspended indefinitely for improper on-court conduct.

San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan contended that Crawford challenged him to a fight during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 15. Crawford ejected Duncan while the player was laughing on the bench. Stern cited a pattern of similar acts in suspending Crawford.

“Based on my meeting with Joey Crawford, his commitment to an ongoing counseling program, and a favorable professional evaluation that was performed at my direction, I am satisfied that Joey understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects from him and that he will be able to conduct himself in accordance with those standards,” Stern said in a release.

Crawford enters his 32nd season as an NBA referee. He has officiated more than 2,000 games during the regular season and 266 in the playoffs, including 38 in the NBA Finals.

Paul Westhead, the only coach to lead an NBA and a WNBA team to titles, is considering leaving the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury to become an assistant with the Seattle SuperSonics, the Arizona Republic reported.

Restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell signed an $18.5-million, five-year offer sheet with the Miami Heat, and now will wait seven days to see if the Milwaukee Bucks choose to match it.

The Lakers signed free-agent forward Elton Brown.

Terms were not disclosed.

Brown, a 6-foot-9 forward from Virginia, played with the National Basketball Development League’s Colorado 14ers last season, averaging 18.4 points and 9.6 rebounds.

The 24-year-old averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in Greece the previous season.

-- Paul Netter

HOCKEY

New Year’s Day outdoor game is official

Confirming reports, the Buffalo Sabres announced they will play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Year’s Day in the first outdoor NHL game in the United States.

The league attendance record is expected to be broken at 74,000-seat Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The only previous outdoor regular-season game drew 57,167 to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium in November 2003 for a game against Montreal.

JURISPRUDENCE

Former college standout sentenced to four years

Former Oklahoma State basketball standout Byron Houston was sentenced to four years in prison for violating probation on an indecent exposure conviction with another arrest this summer.

Houston, 37, faces a Jan. 14 trial on an additional felony charge of indecent exposure.

The former New York Knicks vice president at the center of a sexual harassment trial testified that Coach Isiah Thomas repeatedly called her a vulgar name during business meetings.

Anucha Browne Sanders is seeking $10 million in damages on her claim that she was fired for accusing Thomas, also the team president, of harassment. Thomas denied the accusations in a videotaped deposition played for the jury.

MISCELLANY

Tirico will replace Patrick on the radio

Mike Tirico will take over part of Dan Patrick’s old sports talk time slot on ESPN Radio.

“The Mike Tirico Show” will debut Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon PDT.

Tirico was one of the original hosts when ESPN Radio was launched in 1992.

George Washington basketball Coach Karl Hobbs agreed to a contract extension through 2012. Hobbs is 114-65 since being hired in 2001, including three NCAA tournament berths.

David Beckham and the Galaxy will play an exhibition against the Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand in December.

The Galaxy added the match against Wellington, which plays in Australia’s A-League, to its itinerary for a short sweep through Australasia that includes a match against Sydney FC on Nov. 27, the New Zealand club confirmed today.

Beckham is sidelined by an injured ankle but is expected to be fit enough to return to the field in October.