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A roundup of the week Nov. 28-Dec. 4
BASEBALL—For the fourth straight year, CUBA won the World Amateur championship by winning 14 of 15 games. The U.S. (13-2) was second in the tournament at Managua, Nicaragua.
PRO BASKETBALL—NBA: Just when it looked as though Los Angeles would never lose again and Philadelphia would never win, the Lakers were beaten and the 76ers won—and now have two victories in 26 games. Atlanta went into overtime to end a 13-game Los Angeles winning streak. The Lakers trailed 18-4 the next night against second-place Golden State, but Keith Erickson and Bill Bridges came off the bench to help spark a 112-103 win. The victory extended the Los Angeles lead in the Pacific Division to five games. Connie Hawkins of Phoenix stalked off the court early in the week during a losing game against the Lakers, but later had a 31-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist performance against the Warriors. The Suns placed veteran Gus Johnson on waivers. Philadelphia's dry spell ended with a victory over Buffalo, 101-94, but Boston remained in first place in the Atlantic Division,½ game ahead of New York. Milwaukee regained the top position in the Midwest Division over Chicago as Oscar Robertson became the second player in history, after Wilt Chamberlain, to attain 25,000 career points. The Bucks defeated the Knicks 100-74 as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. The Central Division race was still the closest, with only 4½ games separating Baltimore, Atlanta, Houston and Cleveland, in that order.
ABA: It was a bad week for first-place teams. Indiana, the West Division leader, was visiting Utah and trailed 106-105 with 25 seconds remaining when Willie Wise of the Stars hit a jumper. A foul was called on Mel Daniels of the Pacers, and Coach Bob Leonard drop-kicked the ball into the stands in protest. He was asked to leave and Jimmy Jones sank three free throws for the Stars, who won 111-105. Dallas, the last-place team in the West, had its way in back-to-back wins over the leaders. The Chaps beat Indiana 123-117 and followed with a 108-101 triumph over Carolina, the top club in the East Division. Earlier in the week, George McGinnis of Indiana scored 58 points, the most in the ABA this season, in a 120-117 overtime win over Dallas. The Nets lost playmaker Bill Melchionni for three weeks with a sprained ankle.
BOWLING—Striking on seven of his last 10 shots, JOHNNY GUENTHER scored a 225-193 victory over Dick Ritger to take the first-place prize of $7,500 in the $65,000 PBA National championships at Rochester, N.Y.
PRO FOOTBALL—NFC: WASHINGTON clinched the Eastern Division championship, its first title in 27 years, with a 23-7 victory over Philadelphia. Runner-up DALLAS neared a playoff spot with a 27-6 win over St. Louis as CINCINNATI beat New York 13-10. Ken Ellis intercepted two passes to set up a pair of touchdown runs by John Brockington as GREEN BAY defeated Detroit 33-7 to take sole possession of first place in the Central Division. MINNESOTA moved into a tie for second place with the Lions by beating Chicago 23-10. In the Western Division, ATLANTA, with Dave Hampton scoring twice, maintained its pressure on San Francisco and Los Angeles by recording a 20-10 win over Houston.
AFC: Already the Eastern Division champion, MIAMI continued on its way unbeaten with a 12th straight win, 37-21 over New England. NEW YORK remained barely alive in the wild-card sweepstakes as Bobby Howfield kicked a 42-yard field goal at the final gun for an 18-17 triumph over New Orleans. All the Jet points came on boots by Howfield. Quarterback Marty Domres threw three touchdown passes and John Unitas added another as BALTIMORE defeated Buffalo 35-7. PITTSBURGH, again behind the running of Franco Harris, who scored twice, took sole possession of first place in the Central Division with its 30-0 win over' Cleveland (page 36). OAKLAND clinched the Western Division title by coming from behind for a 21-19 victory over San Diego. Dennis Partee of the Chargers missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt after the final gun had sounded when the Raiders were penalized on the last play. KANSAS CITY beat Denver 24-21.
GOLF—JACK NICKLAUS carded a final-round 64 for a 267 total and a nine-stroke victory in the $150,000 Walt Disney Open at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (page 83).
HARNESS RACING—ALBATROSS ($2.20), the richest pacer in history, ended his career (59 wins in 71 starts) with a five-length victory in the $100,000 American Pacing Classic at Hollywood Park. Driver Stanley Dancer covered the 1‚⅛-mile course in 2:11[3/5].
HOCKEY—NHL: Minnesota, the new first-place team in the West Division, is murder at home. The North Stars overcame double hat tricks by Rene Robert and Gerry Meehan of Buffalo to win 8-6, setting a Minnesota record for most home games (nine) without a loss. The winners trailed 6-5 after two periods, but Jude Drouin, Dean Prentice and Bob Nevin scored in the last period. Drouin and Prentice finished with two each. Pittsburgh gained a tie with Chicago for second place in the division with its 3-2 victory over the Black Hawks. Syl Apps tied the score in the final period and Darryl Edestrand scored the winning goal on a 20-footer. In the East, Montreal remained in first, but lost a chance to gain when Atlanta's John Stewart beat Canadien Goalie Ken Dryden with a short backhander in the last three minutes for a 4-4 deadlock. New York and Boston remained in second and third respectively.
WHA: Houston, the next-to-last-place team in the West Division, peppered New York Goalie Gary Kurt with six goals in the second period in a 7-2 victory that set three records in the new league. The goals were the most in one period and all of them came in a 10:04 span, including two in just seven seconds. Cleveland regained first place in the East and broke a four-game losing streak by blasting Philadelphia 8-2. Dick Pumple sliced in a scoring shot in the first 29 seconds and the Crusaders were on their way. In a meeting of the West's top teams, first-place Winnipeg and Alberta skated to a 3-3 tie in overtime.
HORSE RACING—CRAFTY KHALE ($11.60) was awarded first place in the $56,200 Gallant Fox Handicap at Aqueduct when Autobiography, the first-place finisher in the 1‚Öù-mile race, was charged with blocking the winner's progress in a tight stretch run. Autobiography was placed second.
SKIING—Austrian HARALD STUEFER and SPIDER SABICH of the U.S. swept to giant slalom and slalom victories as pro racing entered its second week at Vail, Colo. with ex-Olympic and World Cup champion Jean-Claude Killy scoring a second and a fourth.
TENNIS—ILIE NASTASE of Rumania won the Masters Tournament at Barcelona by defeating Stan Smith 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3.
WATER POLO—Eric Lindroth, who was named the Outstanding Player, scored six goals to pace UCLA to a 10-5 win over San Jose State for the NCAA championship. It was the third time the Bruins have won in the four-year history of the tournament.
MILEPOSTS—AWARDED: The Outland Trophy by the Football Writers Association of America to Nebraska's RICH GLOVER as the nation's top interior lineman. Unbeaten SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA was a unanimous selection by the National Football Foundation for the MacArthur Bowl as the best college team.
FIRED: After a winning football season (7-4), Coach HAYDEN FRY of Southern Methodist University, with two years left on his contract.
FIRED: As head football coach at the University of Kentucky, JOHN RAY, after a 10-33 record over four years.
FIRED: As track coach at the University of Texas-El Paso, WAYNE VANDENBURG, who, school athletic officials said, had a "flagrant disregard for constituted university authority."
TRADED: By the Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfielder FRANK ROBINSON, 37, Pitchers BILL SINGER and MIKE STRAHLER, Infielders BOBBY VALENTINE and BILL GRABARKEWITZ to the California Angels for Pitcher ANDY MESSERSMITH and Third Baseman KEN McMULLEN. The Chicago White Sox sent Pitcher TOM BRADLEY to San Francisco for Outfielder KEN HENDERSON and Pitcher STEVE STONE. Catcher EARL WILLIAMS was the key figure in a six-player deal as Baltimore acquired him from Atlanta for Pitchers PAT DOBSON and RORIC HARRISON, Infielder DAVE JOHNSON and Catcher JOHN OATES. Cincinnati sent HAL McRAE and WAYNE SIMPSON to Kansas City for RICH SCHEINBLUM and ROGER NELSON and Oakland dealt First Baseman MIKE EPSTEIN to Texas for Pitcher HORACIO PINA.
