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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1988)
Wednesday, June 22, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5 th us and r forour RIP to Sports Lakers defend title with Ranger pitcher eyes All-Star Game -point win over Detroit itfltCE i/noratoiwt JfiNCE 2/nonJtodw I MJ-MOpu nstorJ«nt al INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) —The os Angeles Lakers, led by James iVorthy’s 36 points, held off the De- roit Pistons 108-105 Tuesday night nd became the first team in 19 'ears to repeat as NBA champions. The Lakers, who trailed 52-47 at lalftime, hit their first 10 shots of he third quarter on the way to a 15- x>int lead, then held off a furious ally by the Pistons in the final 12 ninutes. Byron Scott scored 12 of his 21 joints during the Lakers’ 23-7 rally n the third period, which spanned he first 6:25 of the second half and ijave Los Angeles a 70-59 lead. Scott apped the spurt with a 3-point goal. The Lakers led 94-79 with 7:24 left before the Pistons rallied. Vinnie Johnson had three baskets ndjohn Salley five points as Detroit sed a 17-4 spurt to close within 98- 6 with 2:50 left. The Pistons got within two on two ther occasions before Magic John- on hit a free throw with 1:16 to go ;o make it 103-100. Bill Laimbeer hen missed a 3-point attempt and as unable to save the rebound. The all went out of bounds with 1:05 to 3. After a missed shot by Los An- jeles, Dennis Rodman missed a Jumper with 39 seconds left. With a sellout Forum crowd of 17,505 screaming, “Repeat, repeat,” during every timeout, Scott hit two free throws to make it 105-100. The ikers missed three of their next four attempts at the line, however, and the Pistons then trailed by only 106-105 when Laimbeer hit a 3- pointer with six seconds remaining. But A.C. Green clinched it with a layup with two seconds on the clock. Worthy was the series’ Most Valu able Player. When the game ended, delirious fans swarmed over the court, cele brating the first successful defense by an NBA champion since the Bos ton Celtics in 1969. Magic Johnson added 19 points for Los Angeles. Joe Dumars had 25 points for the Pistons, Salley 17 and Adrian Dantley 16. Isiah Thomas, despite a badly sprained ankle that had him on crutches just an hour before the game, played 19 minutes and scored 10 points in the first half, including consecutive jumpers in the final 27 seconds of the second quarter. Those shots gave Detroit the half time lead. But Thomas failed to score in the second half and saw only spot duty in the final minutes. It was the fifth title this decade for the Lakers. By successfully defend ing last year’s crown, the Lakers ful filled a guarantee by Coach Pat Ri ley. “I’m going to guarantee everyone we’re going to repeat,” Riley said minutes after the Lakers beat the Celtics a year ago. The Lakers also became the first team to win three seven-game series in one year. They beat Utah and Dallas 4-3 in the Western Confer ence playoffs. The Lakers led 83-73 after three quarters and quickly extended the margin as Johnson scored, then Mi chael Cooper — 1-for-14 from 3- point range going into the game — hit his second of the second half for an 88-73 lead with 10:49 left. In the first six games, Worthy out- scored Dantley in games won by the Lakers, with the Pistons’ forward outscoring his Laker counterpart in the three Detroit victories. They be- § an the game is if their personal uel would once again be reflected in the final score, each scoring 11 points in the first quarter. The Pis tons led 23-21 at the end of the pe riod. Detroit scored just two points in the first 3:50, but persisted in push ing the ball inside and ran off eight consecutive points, including six by Dantley, for a 10-7 edge. The lead changed four more times and the score was tied twice be fore Dumars hit a 3-pointer and Dantley converted a three-point play for a 23-19 Detroit advantage with 1:31 left in the first period. The Pistons led 26-23 early in the second quarter before Worthy, who scored nine points in the period, started an 11-2 run with a turn around move in the lane. His three- C oint play capped the spurt, giving os Angeles a 34-28 lead. Detroit responded with a 16-7 rally for a 44-41 edge with 2:46 left. Rodman scored six of his eight sec ond-quarter points during the run, but he missed four of six free throws. ARLINGTON (AP) — Six weeks ago, Texas Rangers pitcher Jeff Rus sell’s only shot at getting inside Cin cinnati’s Riverfront Stadium for the All-Star Game was to buy a ticket, sit where people who watch the game do, and root for the American League. Now he’s 7-0 and sees the game, to be played in his hometown, in a different light. “I always wanted to go home,” the 26-year-old Russell said. “It was my goal all along, but I knew it was out of range starting the season in the bullpen. Now, it’s possible.” It’s possible because he’s done ev erything but bat to keep the Rangers within ten games of the American League West’s first-place Oakland A’s. Russell is 6-0 as a starter and has one win out of the bullpen. He has pitched three consecutive complete games, has a 2.36 ERA and a happy, but cautious boss. “It (the All-Star Game) is a legiti mate goal,” Rangers manager Bobby Valentine said. “But I don’t want him to stop there in setting his goals. There aren’t too many pitchers in this league who can stay with him.” Russell’s victory Monday over the Seattle Mariners was no exception. He gave up only four hits in nine in nings, allowing three earned runs, and helped the Rangers beat the Mariners 4-3. Pitching coach Tom House added, “That’s what big-league pitching is all about. He has shown it. It’s there.” Spurs could be interested in high-scoring Chambers SAN ANTONIO (AP) —The San Antonio Spurs might make a bid for Seattle Supersonics free-agent for ward Tom Chambers next month if the Sonics are unable to sign him to a new contract, sources said. “They (the Spurs) are definitely interested,” a source close to the Sonics told the San Antonio Light in Tuesday’s editions. Bob Bass, administrative assistant to Spurs owner Red McCombs, wouldn’t say if the team would try to sign Chambers, but he didn’t deny the club is interested. “There’s not going to be much conversation about free agents,” Bass said. “I think we’re going to be extremely tight-lipped about talking about them. Nothing happens on free agents until July 1 anyway.” League rules forbid teams from bidding on other team’s free agents for the next 10 days, but there are four factors that make Chambers at tractive to the Spurs: SAIM AIMTOIMIO 1. He is an unrestricted free agent. Because Chambers has been in the league seven years and has completed two contracts, Seattle does not have the right to match of fers he receives. 2. He is a proven point producer, averaging 20.4 points per game this past season. In three of the last four years, he has exceeded 20 points per game. 3. He knows new Spurs coach Larry Brown well. Chambers at tended Boulder (Colo.) Fairview High School when Brown was the head coach at nearby Denver. “I’ve known Tom for a long time,” Brown said “He used to come to my basket ball camp. That’s where we got friendly.” 4. His age. Chambers turned 29 Tuesday. Like the Spurs, the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets are considering bidding for Chambers^ He has been offered $5 million for the next four years by the Sonics, but wants a $7 million pact over the same time span. “The figure $1.7 million (per year) is being bandied about,” the Seattle source said. “That would lock him up.” “Talk from other teams isn’t sup posed to start until July I, but al ready we’re hearing more interest in me than I ever expected,” Chambers said. “There have been some phone calls to us. Things are definitely hap pening.” liver £■■1 iecial JRBO 3W! 50“ ite System y parts & lata )ard rome rome Graphic Port You’re in Atlanta. It’s three o’clock in the morning. You’re having chest pains. Will the hospital accept your HMO coverage! 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