Sports briefs for September 9, 2005

Friday, Sept. 9, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.

Magic Johnson will hire hurricane victims

Magic Johnson promised jobs to some Hurricane Katrina victims living at a shelter in Los Angeles, in addition to helping provide them with shoes, food and entertainment.

The former Los Angeles Lakers superstar runs his own corporation, which includes local TGIFriday's and Burger King restaurants, 24 Hour Fitness centers and Starbucks.

Johnson told more than 300 families staying at the Dream Center in Echo Park near downtown that he would find jobs for some of them.

"We want to make sure that you understand that somebody loves you and cares about you," he said Thursday. "It may be tough. It may be a little dim and bleak, but you know what? It's going to be all right."

In other Katrina developments:

The Cleveland Cavaliers' star spent about $120,000 in two hours at a Sam's Club warehouse store in Fairlawn, Ohio, near his hometown of Akron. The goods will be sent to Houston, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Sun takes lead

Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 24 points as Connecticut beat Indiana 73-68 to open the WNBA's Eastern Conference finals.

The Sun center then pronounced a key shot by teammate Katie Douglas as lucky. So did Sun coach Mike Thibault. Douglas hit an off-balance bank shot from 23 feet away as the shot clock expired with 30 seconds remaining to give the Sun a six-point lead.

Douglas said that was just the way she planned it.

"I felt I had to bank it, because I was at a really bad angle," she said. "I think it hushed the crowd pretty good."

Record-setting harness driver dies

At East Rutherford, N.J., Stanley Dancer, a record-setting harness driver who was the undisputed king of the sport's marquee races, died at 78.

He had been in declining health for several years and died at his home in Pompano Beach, Fla., the U.S. Trotting Association said. He retired there about a dozen years ago after living and training horses in New Egypt.

-- Sun wire services