The Week In Tv Sports

DON'T MISS

Saturday 4/24
NHL Conference Quarterfinals
?SATURDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, ESPN 7:30 PM; SATURDAY, SUNDAY, TUESDAY-FRIDAY, ESPN2 7:30 PM; SUNDAY, FOX 2 PM
The hottest show on Broadway is a revival of Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece The Iceman Cometh. Here is a tale of despairing drunks who spend an evening inside a bar devoid of a big-screen TV or ultimate nachos—what sports fans would call "surrealistic drama." Far off Broadway, in polar precincts such as Ottawa and Edmonton and in surreal Sunbelt climes such as Carolina and San Jose, the icemen cometh, seeking Lord Stanley's Cup. The defending champion Detroit Red Wings, with proven players such as Steve Yzerman (right) and Sergei Fedorov in the cast, are a good bet to give an encore victorious performance.

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday 4/24
Southern Cal at Arizona State
?FOX SPORTS NET 4 PM
If you're keeping score, have a pencil sharpener handy. Last June the Trojans and the Sun Devils met in the College World Series final, and USC won 21-14. This spring the hottest spot in the desert has been Arizona State's bat rack. Paced by second baseman Mark Ernster's .446 average, the Devils (32-12) led the nation in both batting average (.370) and runs per game (12.2) through last Friday. The defending champion Trojans were hitting .311. Self-esteem therapists will be available on site for both starting pitchers.

Saturday 4/24
The Sporting News 100 Greatest Baseball Players
? NBC 4:30 PM
Until other magazines broadcast their own millennial programs (e.g., Popular Mechanics' 100 Most Popular Mechanics), this countdown will do. Bob Costas interviews the four living legends who cracked the top 10, and no, Mark McGwire is not among them. "He's much lower on the list than he should be," says Costas, who hosts the 90-minute special from the Baseball Hall of Fame. "But the list was compiled before the end of last season." TSN's roster includes two non-Hall of Famers ( Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose) and excludes Sidd Finch.

Sunday 4/25
China at USA
? ESPN2 4:30 PM
With the women's World Cup looming this summer, Mia Hamm's cup runneth over (something folks used to say about Pamela Anderson Lee's). The striking striker will be within striking distance of the women's record for career goals in international play when two of the world's top teams meet at Giants Stadium. At week's end Hamm had 104 goals, leaving her three shy of the record held by Italy's Elisabetta Vignotto. The U.S.- China rivalry, which includes U.S. wins in the 1996 Olympics and 1998 Goodwill Games, heated up last month in Portugal's Algarve Cup, where China won 2-1 in the title match.

Tuesday 4/27
Magic at Pacers
?TNT 8 PM
Magic, David Blaine style: On April 12 Blaine emerged from a transparent coffin after a week-long "buried alive" stunt in New York City, where he mostly dozed and waved at gawkers. Magic, Orlando style: The surprising NBA club has attracted fans this year with hyperkinetic hustle. Through Sunday the Magic was tops in turnovers forced per game (18) and had the best record (28-12) in the Eastern Conference. If Indiana (26-14) is to overtake Orlando in the race for postseason home-court advantage, shooting guard Reggie Miller must display his magic touch from the outside.

ALL TIMES EASTERN. SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.