A roundup of the week Jan. 23-29
PRO BASKETBALL—Boston stretched its Atlantic Division lead to five games over Philadelphia by beating the 76ers 102-98. The Sixers played without center Moses Malone, who had turned an ankle in the previous night's 111-102 loss at New York. Philly dropped three straight for the first time in two seasons. In another intradivision showdown, Dallas defeated Utah 123-115 in Las Vegas, to pull within 2½ games of the Midwest Division-leading Jazz. Utah, behind Adrian Dantley's 39 points, went on to whip New Jersey 125-115 in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz have won 15 straight. The Pacific Division lead, which has changed hands 13 times this season, belonged to Los Angeles once again. The Lakers beat Phoenix 116-110 and drubbed Houston 131-102. Portland fell half a game back because it had the misfortune to play San Diego on the night the Clippers, who won 118-113, welcomed back their two battleships. Forward Terry Cummings, who'd sat out a game because of the expiration of his $1 million insurance policy that's payable if his career is ended by illness or injury, had 26 points and 10 rebounds—and a new policy. Bill Walton, who had been among the missing for seven weeks with a broken hand, added five points and seven rebounds. Milwaukee held on to a half-game lead over Detroit and Atlanta, despite losing twice. One of the Bucks' losses was to the Hawks, who edged Milwaukee 109-105 when forward Dominique Wilkins' double-pump reverse dunk broke a late tie. The slam was a preview of Wilkins' third-place showing in the NBA's dunk contest, which was won by Phoenix forward Larry Nance (page 26). The East then beat the West 154-145 in overtime in the NBA All-Star Game as Detroit guard Isiah Thomas, the MVP, scored 21 points in the second half and OT, and Philly's Julius Erving, who finished second in the dunk competition, added 34.
BOWLING—HUGH MILLER beat Joe Berardi 217-171 to win a $125,000 PBA tournament in Grand Prairie, Texas.
BOXING—BILLY COSTELLO won the WBC super lightweight title with a 10th round TKO over Bruce Curry in Beaumont, Texas.
Santos Benigno Laciar retained his WBA flyweight crown with a 15-round split decision over Juan Herrera in Marsala, Italy.
GOLF—GARY KOCH sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second hole of the sudden-death playoff to beat Gary Hallberg and win the $400,000 Andy Williams San Diego Open. They finished regulation play at 16-under-par 272.
Silvia Bertolaccini beat Laurie Rinker by three strokes to win a $200,000 LPGA event in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Bertolaccini shot an eight-under-par 280.
HOCKEY—Eleven players had at least a goal or an assist in Los Angeles' 4-2 upset of Smythe Division—leading Edmonton, but not one of them was named Wayne Gretzky. The Kings, who have held Gretzky to 13 points in six meetings this season, snapped his record point-scoring streak at 51 consecutive games. L.A. also stopped a similar Gretzky streak at 30 games a year ago. Another Oiler record-setting scorer kept going: Goalie Grant Fuhr assisted Gretzky on a goal in Edmonton's 3-3 tie with New Jersey to set a mark for points scored in a season by a net-minder, with nine. Buffalo overtook Boston for the Adams Division lead and stretched its NHL-record road winning streak to 10 with a 5-3 decision over the Bruins. In that game Sabres goalie Tom Barrasso, a Massachusetts high school senior just eight months ago, won his first pro game at Boston Garden. His 33-year-old teammate, Gil Perreault, scored two goals in his 1,000th NHL game to lead Buffalo to a 7-3 thumping of Pittsburgh. Minnesota, the Norris Division leader, outscored second-place St. Louis 10-8 behind Dino Ciccarelli's three-goal, three-assist showing. In the Patrick Division, the Rangers, given a second chance, grabbed first place from the injury-riddled Islanders. After the Isles lost to Quebec 5-1, the Rangers blew a chance to move into first by losing 4-2 to the Canadiens. But then the Islanders, who last week lost two all-stars, center Bryan Trottier and right wing Mike Bossy, for several weeks to knee injuries, and defenseman Stefan Persson for seven to 10 days to a tonsillectomy, fell to lowly Detroit for the second time in a week. That left the way open for the Rangers to take a one-point lead with a 3-2 win over St. Louis.
HORSE RACING—SWEET DIANE ($5.80), Ray Sibille up, beat Weekend Surprise by 2½ lengths to win the $207,700 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old filly ran the 1‚⅛ miles in 1:49[1/5].
INDOOR SOCCER—MISL: Tacoma, worst in the West, reversed its luck with three wins. The Stars, now 2-9 in one-goal games, ran their overall mark to 7-16 by beating New York 8-4, behind Danko Grgic's two goals; Los Angeles 7-5; and Wichita 4-3. The Arrows rebounded to beat West-leading Kansas City 5-4 in a shootout. David Shoenstadt, who owns both clubs, wants to sell the Arrows because of lack of support on Long Island, where they average 6,895 fans a game. Cleveland remained the Force in the East by beating Baltimore 6-4 behind George Nanchoff and Drew Ferguson, who scored two goals apiece.
NASL: Vancouver had six players with food poisoning, four who were injured and two who were suspended. With only eight Whitecaps able to play, Vancouver persuaded the league to postpone the Caps' game with San Diego. Golden Bay was healthy enough to win two out of three on the road and hold on to the league lead. The Earthquakes, 7-4 on the road, sustained their only loss of the week, 7-5 to the Cosmos. Ferdinando DeMattaeis had two goals and two assists for the winners.
SPEED SKATING—KARIN ENKE of East Germany won the overall title at the women's world championships in Deventer, The Netherlands, by winning three of four events, including the 1,500 meters in a time of 2:05.59. She was also the champion at 500 (42.04) and 3,000 meters (4:28.20) and finished second in the 5,000, which was won by Andrea Schoene of East Germany in 7:46.04.
TENNIS—JOHN McENROE whipped Ivan Lendl 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 to win the $375,000 U.S. Pro Indoor Championship in Philadelphia.
Bonnie Gadusek defeated Kathy Horvath 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 to win a $100,000 tournament in Marco Island, Fla.
TRACK & FIELD—CARL LEWIS surpassed by 9¼ inches his own two-year-old world indoor record with a long jump of 28'10¼" in New York City (page 18).
MILEPOSTS—FIRED: As coach of the NHL Los Angeles Kings, DON PERRY, 53, who was 52-85-31 in three years with the club. The Kings were 14-27-9 and in last place in the Smythe Division this season. Assistant coach ROGIE VACHON, 38, took over the Kings on an interim basis.
RESIGNED: As coach of the Minnesota Vikings, BUD GRANT, 56, who won one NFL crown, three NFC championships and 11 divisional crowns in his 17 seasons. The Vikings were 161-100-5, including playoff games, under Grant, but were only 8-8 in 1983 and had won just one NFC Central title in the last five years. "There wasn't any pressure on me," Grant said. "There are a lot of things I want to do while I still have my health." LES STECKEL, 37, Minnesota receivers coach since 1979, was named to replace Grant.
As football coach at Wichita State, WILLIE JEFFRIES, 45, to take the same job at Howard, a Division I-AA school. Jeffries was 21-32-2 in five seasons with the Shockers, who were put on probation by the NCAA for the 1983 and '84 seasons for recruiting violations. Wichita State was 3-8 in 1983.
