Baylor's reign with Clippers is over

The Los Angeles Clippers announced yesterday that Elgin Baylor is out as vice president of basketball operations, and coach Mike Dunleavy will assume his responsibilities as general manager. "We greatly appreciate Elgin's efforts during his time with the Clippers, and we wish him the very best," owner and chairman of the board Donald T. Sterling said in a statement. "About a week or 10 days ago, I was approached by the team about being named the general manager," Dunleavy told the Associated Press. "The sense was there was a chance that Elgin might resign. Basically, they were trying to figure it out as soon as possible. They had made Elgin a couple different offers about going forward, and he had until Monday to make a decision." Baylor, 74, became vice president of basketball operations in 1986 after an outstanding 14-year playing career with the Lakers and a stint as coach of the New Orleans Jazz. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.

Forward Antawn Jamison left the Washington Wizards' exhibition opener against the Mavericks in Dallas with an injured right knee. Jamison's leg buckled while playing defense midway through the first quarter and he was helped to the locker room by teammates. A team spokesman said the knee was strained. Washington, which lost, 108-82, is already without guard Gilbert Arenas because of a knee injury . . . Ron Artest scored 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter of his Houston debut and the host Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-93, in their exhibition opener. Rockets guard Tracy McGrady sat out to rest his sore left knee . . . Greg Oden had 13 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes in his exhibition debut for the Trail Blazers, who beat the Sacramento Kings, 110-81, in Portland, Ore. . . . At Anaheim, Calif., Deron Williams had 11 points and eight assists as the Utah Jazz opened exhibition play with a 99-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, who played without coach Phil Jackson, resting at home because of soreness and swelling in his lower legs . . . A woman has been charged with stalking Lakers forward Luke Walton. Stacy Elizabeth Beshear of El Segundo, Calif., was arrested Sept. 18 after she pulled up to his car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand, said Sergeant Steve Tobias of the Manhattan (Calif.) Police Department. Beshear, 34, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of stalking. Walton said Beshear has been harassing him since late last year . . . The Orlando Magic exercised their $2.8 million option on guard J.J. Redick for next season.

Venus Williams was beaten in the opening round for the second time in 12 tournaments this season, losing, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, to Flavia Pennetta at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The Wimbledon champion, who also lost in the first round at Memphis in March, dropped to 1-3 against Pennetta. "I totally came here because I love winning," the eighth-ranked American said. "I have never won this title, but I just had a day where I could not control my game. She played well." Former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva, two seeded Russians who have never reached the final of their home event, won their matches. Fifth-seeded Kuznetsova earned a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Li Na, and seventh-seeded Zvonareva ousted Maria Kirilenko, 6-4, 6-4. On the men's side, American Robby Ginepri beat Jiri Vanek, 6-3, 6-4 . . . Top-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka was upset, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), by German qualifier Philipp Petzschner in the first round of the BA Trophy in Vienna . . . Top-seeded David Nalbandian cruised past American Bobby Reynolds, 6-1, 6-1, and advanced to the second round of the Stockholm Open. Nalbandian will face 26-year-old Joachim Johansson, a former top-10 player who briefly retired because of a shoulder injury. He beat Nicolas Mahut, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins and the university agreed to a contract extension that could keep him with the Buffaloes through 2012. Hawkins is 11-19 in his third year at Colorado, and the Buffaloes are 3-2 this season . . . Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was reprimanded by the Pacific-10 for criticizing the conference's officials following last Saturday's loss at Notre Dame. "Pac-10 rules prohibit comments by a coach about officiating other than to the conference office," commissioner Tom Hansen said in a statement . . . Tennessee offensive linemen Ramone Johnson and Darius Myers have been suspended for games against Georgia and Mississippi State. Coach Phillip Fulmer said the players are being punished for lack of academic effort and violation of team rules . . . Miami right tackle Reggie Youngblood will miss Saturday's game against Central Florida and could be lost for the season with an injured left lower leg.

International gymnastics officials aren't the only ones who want more information on two members of China's 2000 Olympic team. The Chinese Gymnastics Association is doing its own investigation into the ages of Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun. New information suggests the two could have been as young as 14 at the Sydney Olympics, where China earned the bronze medal in the women's team event. Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to compete . . . Thomas Bach, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, said the latest Tour de France doping revelations have further damaged men's road cycling and called its Olympic status into question. If the entire sport doesn't pull together, "then you have to consider giving men's road cycling a pause" from Olympic participation, Bach said . . . The French anti-doping agency confirmed that German rider Stefan Schumacher had tested positive during the 2008 Tour de France for CERA, an advanced version of blood booster EPO. Germany's cycling federation said it would seek a maximum two-year ban . . . Brockton residents got a preview of a statue honoring Rocky Marciano Monday when the World Boxing Council unveiled a small reproduction at City Hall. Mayor James Harrington said the 24-foot bronze statue will be erected outside City Hall and dedicated next year.