Sports in brief

BASEBALLFans salute Giants

Tens of thousands of baseball fans flocked to downtown San Francisco Wednesday to toast the Giants' World Series championship and see their hometown heroes take a victory lap in a ticker-tape parade.

City officials did not have a specific estimate of the crowd size. But Tony Winnicker, spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom, said officials "believe it is the largest parade and civic event turnout in the city's history."

"I've never seen anything like this is my life," centerfielder Andres Torres said as he greeted fans behind a barricade. "The parade has been amazing."

Giants greats Willie Mays and Willie McCovey were on hand for the ceremony.

Beltre will become free agent

Adrian Beltre has declined a $10- million player option that would have kept him with the Red Sox next year. The third baseman will get a $1-million buyout and become a free agent. The 31-year-old Beltre led the team with a .321 batting average and a career-high 49 doubles in 154 games . . . The Rangers did not exercise a $5.5-million option for Vladimir Guerrero, but the American League champions could bring the slugger back next season.

Sparky Anderson in hospice care

Former Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson has been placed in hospice care at his Thousand Oaks, Calif., home for complications resulting from dementia.

Anderson, 76, won 2,194 games as a manager and was the first manager to win World Series titles in both leagues.

NBA

Pierce reaches 20,000

Paul Pierce scored 12 of his 28 points in overtime to reach 20,000 points and added a key steal with 27 seconds lef to help the host Celtics beat the Bucks, 105-102 . . . The Bobcats won for the first time thisseason, overcoming a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the host Nets, 85-83.

Ill Collins leaves game

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins was not on the bench for the second half of last night's game against Indiana because of symptoms related to vertigo. Associate head coach Michael Curry took over with the Sixers holding a 26-point lead at halftime.

Collins missed two preseason games because of symptoms related to a concussion he sustained on Memorial Day.

COLLEGE footballSouth Florida tops Rutgers

Moise Plancher rushed for a career-high 135 yards and B.D. Daniels threw two touchdown passes to lead host South Florida to a 28-27 victory over Rutgers in a Big East matchup.

COLLEGE HOOPS

Harris boosts Tennessee

Freshman Tobias Harris, who starred at Half Hollow Hills West, scored 16 points for host Tennessee in a 91-42 exhibition victory over Brevard. - AP