Skip to main content

A roundup of the week April 28-May 4

PRO BASKETBALL—Boston won twice and took a three-games-to-one lead over Atlanta in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Hawks chipped away at an 18-point Celtic lead in Game 2 to draw one point behind Boston with 3:57 on the clock, but Larry Bird responded with eight of his 36 points to clinch a 119-108 Celtic win. In the first half of Game 3, Dominique Wilkins poured in 23 points for Atlanta, more than in either of his previous two games, but Boston won its third straight, 111-107, nonetheless. The Hawks avoided elimination with a 106-94 Game 4 defeat of Boston. Philadelphia. 1-4 against Milwaukee during the regular season, overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Bucks 118-112 in their semifinal opener before Milwaukee tied the series at one apiece with a 119-107 win. Charles Barkley, whose 31 points and 20 rebounds led Philadelphia to its first win, added 29 points and 13 rebounds in the Sixers' 107-103 Game 3 victory. The Lakers went up 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal series with a come-from-behind win to beat Dallas 117-113. Derek Harper's three-point field goal with three seconds remaining gave the Mavericks a 110-108 victory in Game 3, and Mark Aguirre contributed 39 points in Game 4 to lead Dallas to a 120-118 series-tying victory. Houston held Denver to 40.9% shooting and the league's third-leading scorer, Alex English, to 11 points as the Rockets trounced the Nuggets 119-101 and took a two-games-to-none series lead. English recovered to score 33 points in Denver's 116-115 Game 3 win, and the Nuggets evened the series at two games apiece, defeating the Rockets 114-111 in overtime.

BOXING—DENNIS ANDRIES won the WBC light heavyweight title with a 12-round split decision over defender J.B. Williamson in London.

GOLF—GREG NORMAN defeated Dan Pohl by seven strokes to win a PGA Tour event and $207,000 in Las Vegas. Norman's 90-hole total of 333 was 27 under par, equaling a record set in 1945 by Ben Hogan in a 72-hole event.

HOCKEY—Calgary, St. Louis and Montreal won the deciding games of their respective series with Edmonton, Toronto and Hartford to join the Rangers as Stanley Cup semifinalists. Edmonton evened its Smythe championship series at three games apiece to force a seventh game against Calgary, but at 2-2 in the third period of that game. Edmonton's rookie defenseman Steve Smith, trying to clear the puck from his own zone, inadvertently hit goaltender Grant Fuhr's leg. The puck caromed in, giving the Flames the game-winning goal and the division title, thus eliminating two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton (page 32). Toronto tied its series against St. Louis with a 5-3 victory, but the Blues, who hadn't advanced to a playoff semifinal series in 14 years, edged the Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 to win the Norris championship. Mark Reeds and Mark Hunter scored third-period goals 60 seconds apart to lead St. Louis, which met Calgary for the first time ever in the playoffs, to a 3-2 victory in their Campbell Conference title series opener. The Flames bounced back, routing the Blues 8-2 to tie the series at one game each. Rookie Claude Lemieux scored his sixth playoff goal this year, 5:55 into overtime, to give Montreal a 2-1 deciding-game win over Hartford. The Canadiens, 0-2-1 against the Rangers in regular-season play, then opened their Wales Conference final series with 2-1 and 6-2 victories over the Patrick titlists.

HORSE RACING—FERDINAND ($37.40), with Bill Shoemaker in the saddle, won the 112th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs by 214 lengths over Bold Arrangement. The 3-year-old colt, who earned $609,400, ran the 1¼ miles in 2:02[4/5] (page 18).

INDOOR SOCCER—Brian Quinn and Branko Segota each contributed a pair of goals as defending champion San Diego routed Tacoma 7-2 to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-five. Western Division final series. The Stars avoided a three-game sweep by edging the Sockers 4-3 in Game 3. Back East, Thompson Usyan scored two fourth-quarter goals, the game-winner a 25-footer 2:08 into overtime, to give Minnesota a 5-4 victory over Cleveland. Alan Willey's four goals in Game 4 led the Strikers to a 7-3 win and the Eastern title.

MOTOR SPORTS—BOBBY ALLISON, in a Buick LeSabre. finished two car lengths ahead of Dale Earnhardt, in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, to win a 500-mile NASCAR race in Talladega, Ala., ending a streak of 55 races without a victory. Allison, who averaged 157.698 mph over the 2.66-mile Alabama International Motor Speedway oval, earned $77,905.

RUGBY—Defending champion CALIFORNIA defeated Dartmouth 6-4 to win the National Collegiate Rugby Championship for the sixth time in the seven years that the title has been contested, in Pebble Beach, Calif. (page 76).

SQUASH—MARK TALBOTT defeated Steve Bow-ditch 15-8, 15-12, 15-10 to win the North American Open in St. Paul.

TENNIS—ANDRES GOMEZ defeated Thierry Tulasne 6-4, 7-6 to win the U.S. Open Clay Court title and $51,000 in Indianapolis. STEFFI GRAF beat Gabriela Sabatini 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the women's final to win $45,000.

Joakim Nystrom defeated Kent Carlsson 6-1, 6-1 to win a Grand Prix tournament and $17,000 in Madrid.

VOLLEYBALL—PEPPERDINE beat USC in their best-of-five series to win the NCAA championship in University Park, Pa.

MILEPOSTS—FIRED: As coach of the San Antonio Spurs, COTTON FITZSIMMONS, 54, who in two years with the team had a 76-88 record. The Spurs were swept in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Lakers.

TRADED: By the New York Giants, cornerback MARK HAYNES, 27, to Denver for the Broncos' second-round selections in the 1986 and '87 NFL drafts and their 1986 sixth-round choice. Also, by the Giants, offensive lineman GARY ZIMMERMAN, 24, who played last year for the USFL's Los Angeles Express, to the Minnesota Vikings for two 1986 second-round choices. And by the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback GARY HOGEBOOM, 27, and a 1986 second-round draft choice to the Indianapolis Colts for a higher second-round pick and a future draft choice.

DIED: Cleveland State sophomore forward PAUL STEWART, 19; of a heart attack, suffered while playing in a pickup basketball game in the school's gym: in Cleveland.

Wisconsin football coach DAVE McCLAIN, 48; of cardiac arrest; in Madison.

Former Cleveland Indian and Chicago White Sox outfielder PAT SEEREY, 63, one of 10 major league players to hit four home runs in a game, which he did while playing for Chicago in 1948; of cancer; in St. Louis.

Paul Richards, 77, a catcher with four major league teams (1932-46), better known as an innovative manager for the Chicago White Sox (1951-54 and 1976) and Baltimore Orioles (1954-61); of a heart attack; in Waxahachie, Texas.