A roundup of the week Feb. 25-March 3

PRO BASKETBALL—Midwest Division—leading Denver came from 23 points behind to edge Dallas 141-140 in overtime and negate a 46-point performance by Maverick Mark Aguirre. It was the Nuggets' fourth win in a row, and they came from behind in all four. Denver kept to form the next evening, bouncing back from a nine-point deficit to beat Central Division leader Milwaukee 123-122 on Calvin Natt's 10-foot jump shot at the buzzer. The Bucks had earlier beaten Philadelphia 116-97, holding Julius Erving to seven points. But those seven points brought Erving's career total to 27,314, lifting him past Elvin Hayes (27,313) and into third place among the NBA's alltime scorers. At week's end Dr. J's total stood at 27,357, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (32,868) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers lost to Phoenix 117-105 but defeated Dallas 125-106 to maintain their 14-game lead over the Suns in the Pacific Division. In a 138-129 victory over Detroit, Boston's Kevin McHale scored a club-record 56 points to help the Celtics to a 1½-game lead over the 76ers and a 28-game lead over the hapless Knicks (page 72) in the Atlantic Division.

BOWLING—ERNIE SCHLEGEL outscored Pete Weber 229-225 to win a $125,000 PBA tournament in North Olmsted, Ohio.

BOXING—AARON PRYOR retained his IBF junior welterweight title by winning a 15-round split decision over Gary Hinton in Atlantic City, N.J.

PRO FOOTBALL—Doug Flutie found his pace—throwing for four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 28-10 New Jersey victory at Orlando—while Jim Kelly dropped off only slightly, with 261 yards and four TD passes in Houston's 50-28 roll over Tampa Bay. After losing 20-3 to Memphis Monday night, San Antonio edged Arizona 16-14 (page 34) as Gunslinger defensive end Jeff Chaffin sacked Outlaw Doug Williams for a safety with just over a minute to play. A crowd of 25,232 in Portland's Civic Stadium watched the Breakers defeat Los Angeles 14-10, while 27,400 showed up in Birmingham as the Stallions lost to Denver 40-23. Though 42,291 tickets were distributed in Oakland for the Invaders' 17-17 tie with Baltimore, the actual crowd was estimated at 20,495.

GOLF—CURTIS STRANGE defeated Peter Jacobsen with a par on the first playoff hole to win a $500,000 PGA event in Coral Springs, Fla. They had shot 13-under-par 275 over 72 holes.

Betsy King eagled the first hole of sudden death to beat Patty Sheehan in a $150,000 LPGA tournament in Phoenix. Their total in regulation play was a 280, eight under par.

COLLEGE HOCKEY—Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin advanced in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, while Michigan State, Lake Superior State, Ohio State and Bowling Green did likewise in the CCHA playoffs. ECAC champion RPI closed out its regular-season schedule with victories over Colgate (8-2) and Cornell (5-4).

PRO HOCKEY—There were Goon Shows all over the place. Detroit's game at Minnesota was 11 seconds old when Tim Coulis of the North Stars squared off with Reed Larson of the Red Wings. That precipitated five other fights, 39 penalties and 114 penalty minutes in what turned out to be a 5-2 victory for Minnesota. Winnipeg, 22 points behind Edmonton in the Smythe Division, mixed it up in a 6-4 win over Pittsburgh after Jets defenseman Jim Kyte came from behind Penguins center Mario Lemieux and sucker-punched him in the face. A bench-clearing brawl ensued, and Lemieux ended up with a concussion. After a 3-1 loss to St. Louis (page 70), Buffalo defeated Patrick Division leader Washington 4-0 on goalie Tom Barrasso's fifth shutout of the season. The Sabres then lost 3-2 to the Islanders to remain two points behind Montreal in the Adams Division.

HORSE RACING—Kentucky Derby candidate PROUD TRUTH ($6), Jorge Velasquez up, edged Irish Sur by a neck to win the 1‚⅛-mile, $300,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Another prominent Derby colt, CHIEFS CROWN ($2.60), won the seven-furlong, $51,320 Swale Stakes on the same card (page 24).

Lord At War ($7), ridden by Bill Shoemaker, won the 1-mile, $500,600 Santa Anita Handicap by 1¾ lengths over Greinton in 2:00[3/5].

INDOOR SOCCER—Dallas, with the worst record in the MISL, upset Chicago 5-4 on two goals and two assists by Mark Karpun. Baltimore led the Sting by 4½ games in the Eastern Division after wins over Pittsburgh (5-3) and St. Louis (8-2), while San Diego, the leader in the West, lost to Cleveland and beat Kansas City, both 4-3 in overtime.

MARATHON—NANAE SASAKI of Japan won the Nagoya International Women's Marathon with a time of 2:33:57, defeating Glenys Quick of New Zealand by six seconds.

MOTOR SPORTS—NEIL BONNETT nipped Harry Gant by the width of a car bumper to win the Carolina 500 Grand National stock car race in Rockingham, N.C. The drivers, both in Monte Carlos, averaged 114.953 mph on the 1.017-mile high-banked North Carolina Motor Speedway oval.

TENNIS—JOHN McENROE defeated Kevin Curren 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 to win the $375,000 World Championship Houston Shootout.

Robin White beat Anne Minter 6-7, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to win a $75,000 tournament in Hershey, Pa.

TRACK & FIELD—TODD BENNETT A Great Britain ran a 45.56 in the 400 meters in Piraeus, Greece to break the world indoor record of 45.60 set by Thomas Schoenlebe of East Germany in January.

MILEPOSTS—ACQUIRED: By the Boston Celtics, free-agent guard RAY WILLIAMS, 30, from the New York Knicks for second-round draft picks in 1985 and '86.

DECLARED ELIGIBLE: By the NCAA, East German swimmer JENS-PETER BERNDT, 21, who defected in January. He will swim for the University of Alabama, starting with the SEC meet this week.

TRADED: By the New York Yankees, infielder TOBY HARRAH, 36, to the Texas Rangers for outfielder BILLY SAMPLE, 29, and a minor-leaguer to be named later.

DIED: MARGERY MILLER WELLES, 61, a sportswriter with King Features Syndicate starting in 1945 and later a member of the original SPORTS ILLUSTRATED staff; of cancer; in Charlotte, N.C.

John B. Kelly Jr., 57, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, apparently of a heart attack while jogging; in Philadelphia. A noted oarsman, Kelly won the AAU's Sullivan Award as the nation's outstanding amateur athlete of 1947 and competed in the Olympics of 1948, '52, '56 and '60, winning a bronze in the single sculls in '56. He had served as a member of the USOC and was confirmed as president just last month.

Howard Brooks, 24, a Golden Gloves super heavyweight boxer; after collapsing in the ring during a bout on Feb. 28; in Miami.