Wednesday, June 22, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5
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Lakers defend title with Ranger pitcher eyes All-Star Game
-point win over Detroit
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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.”
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