- Publish date:
A roundup of the sports information of the week
BASKETBALL—NBA: It was a quiet week. BALTIMORE (33-11) was host to the All-Star Game and kept the Eastern lead, although seeing no action. Led by Hal Greer's 29 points, second-place PHILADELPHIA (30-13) came from behind late in the second half to beat San Diego 129-124. BOSTON (31-14) took two of three but fell a game out of second. In a 102-99 victory over San Francisco, Jim Barnes came off the bench after missing-nine games and sank three key baskets. NEW YORK (32-18) was undefeated in three games and has now lost only one of its last 17. In the sixth consecutive Knick win, 117-109 over Milwaukee, Cazzie Russell had 41 points. CINCINNATI (25-21) lost two of three but broke a four-game losing streak with a 120-109 victory over San Diego. Sixth-place DETROIT (18-27) gained ground, winning both its games. Happy Hairston's 27 points and 21 rebounds secured a 123-108 win over last-place MILWAUKEE (14-34). The Bucks lost two, after starting the week with a 114-110 win over the Celtics. LOS ANGELES (31-15), a mere two games ahead in the West, won its only game, 128-107 over Cincinnati. ATLANTA (29-17) continued to creep up. The Hawks have lost only two of their last 19, and their 112-107 defeat of Phoenix was their fifth straight over the Suns. Clem Haskins of third-place CHICAGO (21-26) had 10 overtime points in a 107-102 defeat of San Diego, and the Bulls lost to fourth-place SAN FRANCISCO (19-27) 112-99. The Warriors split two games. SAN DIEGO (18-29) was the NBA's busiest and least successful team, losing four in a row. Sixth-place SEATTLE (15-35) and seventh-place PHOENIX (9-38) each lost both their games NBA ALL-STAR GAME: the EAST defeated the West 123-112, and Cincinnati's OSCAR ROBERTSON was chosen Most Valuable Player. Robertson was the game's top scorer with 24 points, and in the fourth quarter, when the outcome was still in doubt, made a three-point play to put the East ahead 97-96 and another to make the score 101-96.
ABA: MINNESOTA (24-17) led the Eastern Division but in three games beat only Dallas 116—105 as Connie Hawkins got 29 points. KENTUCKY (21-20) won both its games and moved into second place, two games nearer the top. In a 112—102 win over Houston, rookie Gene Moore scored 29 points, his best total of the year. INDIANA (22-23) split four and fell to third. Roger Brown clinched the 116-113 Pacer win at Houston with a jump shot and two free throws. Fourth-place MIAMI (17-21) and last-place NEW YORK (12-27) were winless, with three and four losses, respectively. Astounding OAKLAND (34-4) tied an ABA record by winning its 15th straight game. The Oaks were 24 points behind Miami in the course of one game, but nonetheless won 131-129. Second-place DENVER (24-16) took three of four yet still lost ground to the Oaks. Larry Jones scored 39 points in a 112-107 win over New Orleans. Larry Miller of LOS ANGELES (19-22) was outstanding as the Stars took two of four. In the 134-129 Miami game he had his season high of 33 points, and his three-point basket in overtime beat Indiana 129-128. NEW ORLEANS (20-24) won three of five and inched to within 1½ games of third. The 136-106 defeat of Denver was the worst for the Rockets since they entered the ABA. Cincy Powell of DALLAS (16-21) clinched two victories with overtime baskets and had 33 points in the third straight Chaparral win, a streak which followed 10 straight losses. Last place HOUSTON (13-27) won three of six and set a pro record by making all 36 of its free throws in a 130-118 drubbing of New York.
BOWLING—DON GLOVER of Bakersfield, Calif. beat Don McCune of Munster, Ind. 230-219 to take the $6,000 first prize in the PBA $45,000 Valley of the Sun Open at Phoenix.
COURT TENNIS—JIMMY BOSTWICK, 31, won the U.S. Open, upsetting his brother, Pete Bostwick, 34, 4-6, 6-5, 6-3, and 6-3 in New York.
FOOTBALL—Fourth-quarter comebacks decided both pro All-Star games in favor of the West. In a battle of two fine defensive teams, the NFL WEST went 54 yards in four plays in the last two minutes to squeak by the East 10-7, Minnesota Fullback Bill Brown bulling over from the one-yard line for the winning touchdown. The AFL WEST beat the East 38-25 on two long passes by Kansas City's Len Dawson, both of which set up final-period TDs. The East led at the half, getting 12 of 19 points on four field goals by New York's Jim Turner.
GOLF—JOANNE GUNDERSON CARNER won the first annual $35,000 Burdine's Invitational, in Miami, with a par 216, becoming the first amateur to capture an LPGA-sponsored tournament.
HARNESS RACING—STANLEY DANCER of New Egypt, N.J., who had the best winning percentage (.511) in 1968 and was second in earnings with $1,488,025, was named Driver of the Year by Harness Tracks of America. HERVE FILION of Angers, Quebec, who set a world record of 407 victories, was the official North American race-winning champion. BILLY HAUGHTON of Glen Head, N.Y. was tops in earnings for the 12th time, with a record $1,654,172.
HOCKEY—NHL: In the East, BOSTON (25-8-9) won three and tied one, reaching 10 straight games without a loss, in a 5-3 win over Philadelphia. Phil Esposito had five assists as the Bruins downed Pittsburgh 8-4. Two points back in second, MONTREAL (25-12-7) took two of three, Bobby Rousseau getting two goals and an assist in a 4-0 shutout of the Flyers, and setting up the tie-breaking goal and scoring another in a 3-1 win over Chicago. With two ties, TORONTO (20-11-10) held on to third place. Bobby Hull of fourth-place CHICAGO (23-18-3) scored two goals in a 4-2 win over Los Angeles, the only Black Hawk triumph in four games. Before tying Toronto 1-1, DETROIT (21-16-7) won its fourth, fifth and sixth consecutive games and advanced from last place to tie Chicago for fourth. Last-place NEW YORK (22-18-4) lost, but remained undefeated in five games against Oakland, with a 3-1 win, then tied. West leader ST. LOUIS (21-11-11) won twice; a 2-2 tie with New York was the Blues' fourth straight game without a defeat. Goalie Glenn Hall posted his fifth shutout of the season, 2-0 over Minnesota. Second-place OAKLAND (15-24-6) lost twice and beat only Chicago, 4-3, Carol Vadnais getting two goals. LOS ANGELES (15-20-6) moved up to tie the Seals, with three wins and a loss. The tying game, 4-0 over Pittsburgh, was rookie Goalie Gerry Desjardins' fourth shutout. Fourth-place PHILADELPHIA (10-23-11) lost its three games. Fifth-place PITTSBURGH (10-27-7) and last-place MINNESOTA (9-28-7) did little better, the Penguins emerging from the cellar with a win and three losses, the North Stars staying at the bottom with three straight defeats.
HORSE RACING—MR. BROGANN ($57.60), 4-year-old son of Ridan, took the $69,500 Tropical Park Handicap. CAVAMORE ($10.40), who had never won a stakes, scored an upset in the $59,450 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita.
SKIING—WILTRUD DREXEL of Austria won the downhill at Schruns-Tschagguns and moved into a second-place tie with Annie Famose in 1969 World Cup points. ROSI MITTERMAIER of West Germany upset World Cup point-leader Gertrud Gabl in the slalom and gave West Germany its first major Alpine victory in two years. Austria's KARL SCHRANZ increased his lead in World Cup points by winning the Hahnenkamm men's downhill at Kitzb√ºhel. The next day, after missing a gate, Schranz abandoned the slalom, which was won by PATRICK RUSSEL of France (page 14).
MILEPOSTS—HIRED: RICK FORZANO, who never played college football, as head football coach of the U.S. Naval Academy. HOMER RICE, former head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, as athletic director of the University of North Carolina. JOHN RAUCH, who coached the Oakland Raiders to the AFL title in 1967 and the Western Division championship last season, as head coach of the hapless Buffalo Bills, with a four-year contract.
HIRED: EDDIE STANKY, dismissed in July after 2½ years as White Sox manager, as head baseball coach at the University of South Alabama at Mobile. USA is 4½ years old, and just down the road a piece from Stanky's home.
RESIGNED: L. STANLEY (STAN) WARD, 49, whose 15 years as Brown University basketball coach is the Ivy League's longest current reign in that sport, effective at the end of June.
RETIRED: JOHN GORDY, 33, a Detroit Lion guard for 11 years, to become full-time executive director of the NFL Players' Association.
DIED: WARREN LAHR, 45, for 11 years a Cleveland Brown halfback, and later a television sports announcer, of a heart attack in his Aurora, Ohio home.
