A federal judge has ruled that a trial that likely will determine where the Seattle SuperSonics will play next season will begin as scheduled.
U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman in Seattle on Tuesday denied a motion by the team’s owners for her to rule on how much money Seattle could be awarded in damages should the Sonics leave the city before the start of next season.
She says such a request could have been made earlier than six weeks before the start of the trial, which remains scheduled to begin June 16.
Attorneys for the city of Seattle had said in court filings that if the judge allowed the money issue to be a part of the trial, the case could be delayed by six months, which would guarantee the Sonics would play in Seattle next season.
The team’s Oklahoma City-based ownership group wants to pay off the final two years of its lease to use Seattle’s KeyArena and move the team to Oklahoma City for next season, while the city of Seattle is suing to force the team to fulfill the lease.
Pechman has said she will decide the case after hearing six days of evidence.
Big Brown preps
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown returned to the track at Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning, four days after his 4 3/4-length win in the Run for the Roses.
Trainer Rick Dutrow watched from the rail as Big Brown walked a lap around the track with exercise rider Michele Nevin. Dutrow said the 3-year-old colt has shown no ill effects from the Derby, in which Big Brown became the first horse in nearly 80 years to win from the No. 20 post.
Mavs, Carlisle close
DALLAS (AP) — Rick Carlisle is still on the verge of becoming the next coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
Carlisle is the only candidate the team has interviewed since firing Avery Johnson last Wednesday. Negotiations turned serious over the weekend and have continued all week, but as of Wednesday night there were some points still not settled.
However, the most important point — Dallas wanting Carlisle and Carlisle wanting Dallas — seems to be done.
“I think we’re seeing this through. We’re fairly locked in at this point,” said Donnie Nelson, the team’s president of basketball operations. “Everything is going in a positive direction. Both sides feel good about the progress. It’s just a negotiation. They take time. ... It’s like docking the Queen Elizabeth.”
Carlisle’s agent, Wayne LeGarie, was overses and did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press on his cell phone and at his office. He has been quoted as saying a deal could be done by Thursday.
