A Roundup of the Week Feb. 29-March 6

PRO BASKETBALL—On Monday, New Jersey, owner of the NBA's worst record (12-42), got a new coach, Hall of Famer Willis Reed. On Tuesday, the Nets ended a six-game losing streak by blowing out the Los Angeles Clippers 104-75, thereby giving the Clippers the league's worst mark. "I understand this was not a championship game," said Reed of L.A.'s 19th consecutive road loss. On Wednesday, New Jersey, winner of only one road game in its previous 25, won in Boston, 117-107. It was the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics' first home loss in 67 Eastern Conference games. On Saturday, Reed guided the Nets to a 94-85 win over his old team, New York. "Everybody thought I was taking a bad job," said Reed, "but it's been pretty good." Washington, now second in the Atlantic, won all four of its games, as the Bullets' Malones, center Moses and guard Jeff, were sterling: They averaged 27.3 and 19.3 points per game for the week, respectively. The Knickerbockers beat Indiana 98-96 for an 11th straight home win, their longest such streak since 1972-73, which also happened to be the year in which New York last won the NBA championship. Things must be getting boring for the Los Angeles Lakers. Defending NBA champions. Best record in the league (47-10 at week's end). An 11-game Pacific Division lead over second-place Portland. Then on Sunday, the Lakers visited Dallas and hammered the Midwest Division-leading Mavs 108-97. The win broke Dallas's club-record 11-game winning streak. "The Mavericks had been running roughshod over people," said Los Angeles coach Pat Riley. "That got our attention." In their seven games against other division leaders this season, the Lakers are 7-zip. In the Central Division, Detroit took a three-game lead over Atlanta (page 42).

BOWLING—MIKE AULBY beat Andy Neuer 249-200 in the title game to win $27,000 and a PBA tour event in Cleveland.

BOXING—SUMBU KALAMBAY of Italy retained the WBA middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Mike McCallum, in Pesaro, Italy.

GOLF—BEN CRENSHAW shot a six-under-par 66 to get the $180,000 winner's check at the Doral Open, in Miami. He finished one stroke ahead of runners-up Mark McCumber and Chip Beck.

Betsy King beat Beth Daniel by one stroke to win an LPGA event and $45,000 in Kauai, Hawaii. King shot an eight-under-par 280.

HOCKEY—After an 11-game Olympics-imposed exile during which Calgary had an uncharacteristically mediocre 5-5-1 record, the Flames returned to the Saddledome last week and soundly beat Philadelphia 6-3 and Edmonton 7-4 to run their unbeaten streak to six games. The Oilers, who trail Smythe Division-leading Calgary by three points, beat Los Angeles 5-3 as Wayne Gretzky got his 1,050th assist and broke Gordie Howe's eight-year-old NHL career record. Montreal, tops in the Adams Division, went undefeated for the week by beating Quebec 2-1, St. Louis 4-2 and Los Angeles 7-6 in overtime. At week's end the Canadiens had won eight games in a row, leaving Boston five points back. Norris Division leader Detroit stopped a four-game slide by winning all three of its games. But the news was not all good for the Red Wings. Center Steve Yzerman tore a ligament in his right knee during a 4-0 win over the Sabres and was lost for the rest of the season. "Steve is to us what Mario Lemieux is to the Pittsburgh Penguins," mourned Detroit coach Jacques Demers. At the time of his injury, Yzerman had accounted for nearly 40% of Detroit's goals. Nonetheless, two nights later the Red Wings beat Minnesota 6-3 and clinched a playoff spot. In the Patrick Division, Lemieux continued to play brilliantly for hapless Pittsburgh. Lemieux scored twice during the week and set a Penguin record for most goals in a season, with 56. Atop the division, Washington stayed hot behind the inspired play of goalie Clint Malarchuk, running its record to 11-1-0 since the All-Star break and wresting first place from Philadelphia (page 50).

HORSE RACING—BRIAN'S TIME ($67.60), Randy Romero in the saddle, beat Forty Niner by a neck to win $300,000 and the Florida Derby, at Gulf-stream Park. The 3-year-old colt ran the 1‚Äö√Ñ√∂‚àö√±‚àö¬µ miles in 1:49 4/5 (page 28).

Alysheba ($4), Chris McCarron up, beat Ferdinand by half a length to win the Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old colt covered the 1¼ miles in 1:59 4/5 and won $550,000.

Julie Krone, riding Squawter ($7.60), won her 1,205th race to break Patricia Cooksey's day-old record for most career victories by a female jockey, at Aqueduct.

INDOOR SOCCER—The league board said the MISL will fold in June unless the players accept a mandatory 30% cut in the salary cap. Of 11 teams, only Cleveland will make a profit this season. On the field, San Diego maintained an insurmountable 914-game lead in the West. Eastern Division leader Minnesota, despite losing both its outings, held on to a three-game lead over Dallas.

MOTOR SPORTS—NEIL BONNETT, driving a Pontiac, beat Lake Speed, in an Oldsmobile, by .62 of a second to win $45,800 and a NASCAR event in Rockingham, N.C. Bonnett averaged 120.159 mph for 500 miles on the 1.02-mile North Carolina Motor Speedway oval.

SAILING—Brigadoon V, a 41-foot Frers coskippered by Perry Harris and Bob Morton of Newport, R.I., won IMS division corrected time honors in the 28th annual St. Petersburg to Ft. Lauderdale race. Lunatic, a Frers 45 with Clune Walsh of Grosse Pointe Farms at the helm, finished the 403-mile course first in 65:27:05.

TENNIS—BORIS BECKER defeated Emilio Sanchez 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to win $136,700 and a Grand Prix tournament in Indian Wells, Calif.

Steffi Graf won her 26th consecutive match by beating Katerina Maleeva 6-4, 6-1 to get $40,000 and the title at the U.S. Women's Hardcourt Championships, in San Antonio.

MILEPOSTS—ANNOUNCED: By the NCAA, that a year-long investigation of the activities of the University of Kentucky basketball program from 1981 through '85 uncovered no proof of wrongdoing (page 17).

ELECTED: To the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., two-time Wimbledon champ EVONNE GOOLAGONG CAWLEY, 36.

NAMED: As coach of the Los Angeles Raiders, former Denver Bronco offensive coordinator MIKE SHANAHAN, 35.

As coach of the New Jersey Nets, WILLIS REED, 45, who had been an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings.

SENTENCED: By a county circuit court judge in Opelika, Ala., former sports agent JIM ABERNETHY, 50, to a year in prison and a $2,000 fine. His conviction on a charge of tampering with a sports event resulted from payments to Auburn defensive back Kevin Porter in 1987 to induce Porter to sign with him. Abernethy received the maximum penalty allowed under Alabama law.