Sports in brief: Woman who had affair with Phillips fired

Media: The ESPN production assistant whose affair with baseball analyst Steve Phillips led to his termination has also been fired from the sports network, a spokesman said Monday.

Mike Soltys, a representative of ESPN, said Monday that 22-year-old Brooke Hundley had been fired, but he did not say when or why.

Phillips, a former general manager of the New York Mets, was fired Sunday after the network said his ability to represent ESPN effectively had been “significantly and irreparably damaged” by revelations about his affair with Hundley.

Steve Lefkowitz, a representative for Phillips, said Phillips has entered an inpatient treatment facility “to address his personal issues.”

He stopped short of calling it sexual addiction but compared Phillips’ problems to those of actor Michael Douglas, who has been treated for sexually compulsive behavior.

Phillips’ wife, Marni, has filed for divorce.

Phillips is still living at home, hopes to return to broadcasting after treatment and had made the reservations at the unspecified rehabilitation facility before ESPN fired him, Lefkowitz said Monday.

•Griese suspended: ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese has been suspended one week for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz says Griese will not be working a game this week.

Krulewitz says ESPN has spoken to Griese and “he understands the comment was inappropriate.”

During ESPN’s broadcast of the Minnesota-Ohio State game Saturday, a graphic was shown listing the top five drivers in NASCAR’s points race. Fellow analyst Chris Spielman asked where was Montoya, who is Colombian.

Griese replied he was “out having a taco.”

Canadiens extend streak with OT win

Hockey: Roman Hamrlik scored 1:32 into overtime and the Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak to four games with a 3-2 victory over the visiting New York Islanders.

Hamrlik took Tomas Plekanec’s centering flip pass from the right side on a 2-on-1 and put a shot into the open left side.

Jeff Tambellini drew New York even for the second time 15:24 into the third with his second power-play goal of the game.

•Thrashers lose Kovalchuk: Ilya Kovalchuk, the Atlanta Thrashers’ captain and one of the league’s top scorers, is expected to miss three to five weeks with a broken bone in his right foot, the team announced.

American player dies in Portugal

Basketball: Kevin Widemond, a 23-year-old American guard, died of a heart attack during a Portuguese basketball tournament in Lisbon.

The Portuguese basketball federation said Widemond collapsed in the locker room Sunday during halftime of a game between his team Ovarense and Academica in Leiria, in northern Portugal.

Widemond, a native of Newark, N.J., had played 10 minutes in the third-place playoff game of the cup competition, which was canceled following his death.

•Bulls extend Rose, Noah: The Chicago Bulls have exercised contract options on point guard Derrick Rose and forward Joakim Noah for the 2010-11 season.

Indians introduce Acta as manager

Baseball: Manny Acta, who was unable to turn the talent-thin Washington National into winners, was introduced as Cleveland’s 40th manager after he picked the Indians over the Houston Astros, a team close to his heart and the one that gave him his start as a big leaguer.

The Indians signed him to a three-year contract through 2012 with a club option for 2013. Financial terms were not immediately available.

•Padres introduce Hoyer: Jed Hoyer was formally introduced as the Padres’ general manager. He was hired during the weekend after spending eight seasons with the Red Sox.

SEC reprimands Kiffin, Mullen

Miscellany: Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen were reprimanded by the Southeastern Conference for criticizing officials, raising the number of coaches to be scolded by the league for knocking game officiating to three in the past week.

For Kiffin, it was the second time this year he has been reprimanded by the league. SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Kiffin could be suspended if he violates conference rules again.

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson also weighed in on the officiating Monday after he had some questions about calls made in his game against South Carolina last weekend. Johnson said he’d like to speak with SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding.

•Wozniacki denies wrongdoing: Caroline Wozniacki denied that there was any wrongdoing involved last week when she quit a match one game shy of victory.

The WTA Tour is investigating a surge in online bets backing her opponent that occurred after her father, Piotr, was overheard telling Wozniacki to quit because she wouldn’t be able to play in the next round of the Luxembourg Open.

The 19-year-old Dane retired with a hamstring injury while leading Anne Kremer of Luxembourg 7-5, 5-0.

•Milan chief certain on Beckham return: AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani says David Beckham’s return to the Serie A team on a loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy in January is nearly “100 percent certain.”

The former England captain has long been linked with a second loan at Milan, where he performed well in a six-month stint last season. He wants to return to Europe to maintain his place on England’s 2010 World Cup squad.

•Lesnar withdraws from title defense: UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has withdrawn from his upcoming title defense against Shane Carwin because of an illness.

Lesnar was scheduled to fight Carwin in the main event of UFC 106 on Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Tito Ortiz’s return to UFC against former champion Forrest Griffin will become the main event at UFC 106.