A roundup of the week Nov. 21-27

PRO BASKETBALL—Some called it slow-Moe, but it was more like no màs. With 1:12 left to play and Portland leading 146-111, frustrated Denver Coach Doug Moe found out that the Trail Blazers' team record was 150 points in a game. He called a timeout and told his players. "Let them have it." That the Nuggets did, standing stonily in place as Portland scored five unopposed baskets and won 156-116. "What makes the final minute any different from the nondefense we put up against them in the first and second quarters?" asked Moe. "We didn't guard anybody all night long." Make that all season long: Denver leads the NBA in points given up (127.8 per game). But the Nuggets also lead the league in scoring (125.5) and trail Dallas by only 2½ games in the Midwest Division. Portland went on to score back-to-back wins over Seattle and wound up the week tied with Los Angeles atop the Pacific Division, while Milwaukee took over the Central lead from Atlanta. Atlantic Division leader Philadelphia won all three of its games, including the first meeting of pro basketball's supercenter and the man who would be Moses. Houston's Ralph Sampson, Malone out-scored Sampson 24-20 and humbled him on the boards 13-7 in the 76ers' 115-101 victory, Intoned Malone, "This was not a battle between Ralph and me. He's a team player and so am I." But it seemed unlikely that Houston's first sellout crowd of the year had come to watch the 5-9 Rockets pass the ball around. Another big crowd—13,186—saw Utah lose 128-117 to Chicago in the Jazz's first regular-season game in Las Vegas (page 70).

BOXING—LARRY HOLMES, the WBC heavyweight champion, scored a first-round TKO over Marvis Frazier in a nontitle fight in Las Vegas (page 26).

Michael Spinks retained his world light heavyweight title with a 10th-round knockout of Oscar Rivadeneyra in Vancouver.

CROSS-COUNTRY—BETTY SPRINGS of North Carolina State won the NCAA women's cross-country championship in Bethlehem, Pa. as well as the TAC women's title in University Park, Pa. Oregon won the NCAA women's team crown. ZAKARIA BARIE won the NCAA men's title to lead UTEP to the team championship. In the TAC men's competition, PAT PORTER successfully defended his 1982 title (page 62).

PRO FOOTBALL—There were two "Skins games" on TV Sunday afternoon: the golf exhibition featuring Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus. Tom Watson and Gary Player (page 28), and Washington's 28-24 defeat of Philadelphia, in which the Redskins' John Riggins set a league record of 21 rushing touchdowns in a season by scoring twice in the second quarter. Judging from Riggins' comments after the game, he spent halftime in front of the tube, watching golf. I've had a lot of two-foot putts this year," he said. "But as they say, 'You drive for the show, you putt for the dough.' " The win kept Washington tied for first in the NFC East with Dallas, a 35-17 winner over St. Louis on Thanksgiving. Detroit demolished Pittsburgh 45-3 in the other Bird Day bomb. "I mulled over what the turning point of the game was," said Steeler Coach Chuck Noll. "I decided it was the opening kickoff." Nevertheless Pittsburgh held a one-game lead in the AFC Central over Cleveland, a 41-23 victor over Baltimore, while Detroit tied Minnesota for first in the NFC Central when the Vikings stumbled 17-16 against a redeemed team from New Orleans. The 7-6 Saints moved up to second in the NFC West, abreast of San Francisco, which caved in 13-3 at Chicago. A game back in third is Atlanta, whose Kenny Johnson returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown, his second of the day, to give the Falcons a 47-41 sudden-death win over Green Bay. The Rams, who handled Buffalo 41-17, lead the division by a game. The AFC West-leading Raiders beat the Giants 27-12, while second-place Denver lost to San Diego 31-7, as Dan Fouts returned to action after five weeks on the injured reserve list and passed for 299 yards. The Jets defeated New England 26-3. Seattle outgunned Kansas City 51-48 and Tampa Bay beat Houston 33-24 (page 38).

HOCKEY—New York's suburban hockey team, the Islanders, got to their inner-city counterparts, the Rangers, without traversing any of the usual bridges or tunnels. Mike Bossy had his fourth hat trick of the season as the Islanders routed Chicago 9-3 for their 12th victory in 14 games. Meanwhile, the Rangers were getting beaten right, left and center—6-4 by Buffalo, 3-1 by Washington and 4-3 in overtime by Hartford—and relinquishing the Patrick Division lead to the Islanders. In the Adams Division, Buffalo temporarily displaced Boston in first place. But the Bruins, who had lost 6-3 to Quebec, quickly regained the top spot, defeating New Jersey 6-2 while the Nordiques obligingly knocked off Buffalo 3-2. Minnesota likewise flirted with danger in the Norris Division, losing 6-4 to Toronto and dropping into a three-way tie for first with the Maple Leafs and Chicago before a 2-2 tie with Edmonton moved the North Stars back on top.

INDOOR SOCCER—MISL: Cleveland beat Memphis 6-4, dropping the Americans a game and a half behind the front-running Force in the Eastern Division. Baltimore's Davey MacWilliams had game-winners on consecutive nights as the Blast defeated West-leading St. Louis 6-5 and Los Angeles 7-3.

NASL: The Cosmos repulsed Tulsa 8-7 in overtime, but the Roughnecks rebounded behind Bill Caskey's four goals to beat last-place Tampa Bay 7-6. San Diego overtook Chicago for the league lead with a 3-1 defeat of the Sting.

MILEPOSTS—ARRESTED: On charges of cocaine possession, WBA junior welterweight champion AARON PRYOR, in Los Angeles. He was released on $2,500 bail.

On drunken driving charges, three-time NASCAR champion CALE YARBOROUGH, in Columbia, S.C. He was released on his own recognizance into the custody of his brother.

BANNED: From competing in the 1984 Winter Olympics, INGEMAR STENMARK of Sweden and HANNI WENZEL of Liechtenstein, each of whom won two gold medals in Alpine skiing at the 1980 Games. The International Olympic Committee upheld an International Ski Federation decision declaring the two ineligible because they hold special competition licenses that allow them to receive direct payments, in prize money and from commercial sponsors, while skiing on the World Cup circuit.

FIRED: By the Major League Baseball Players Association, Executive Director KEN MOFFETT, 51, Marvin Miller, who left the post on Jan. 1 after 16½ years, was named interim director (page 15).

By the New Jersey Devils, Coach BILLY MacMILLAN, 40, after the Devils lost 18 of their first 20 games. TOM McVIE, 48, coach of the Devils' minor league club in Portland, Maine, was named coach.

NAMED: As the National and American League Rookies of the Year, respectively. New York Mets Rightfielder DARRYL STRAWBERRY, 21, and Chicago White Sox Leftfielder RON KITTLE, 25.

As football coach at Rice, WATSON BROWN, 33, who had a 4-6-1 record in one season at Cincinnati.

As coach of the Winnipeg Jets, BARRY LONG, 34, a former Jets defenseman and scout who became an assistant coach only two weeks ago.

TRADED: By the Oakland A's, Pitcher DAVE BEARD, 24, and Catcher BOB KEARNEY, 27, to the Seattle Mariners for Pitcher BILL CAUDILL, 27, and a player to be named later.