European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 27, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                April 1985 the stars and stripes fuels pistons playoff surge Page 25 Thomas poses double threat by William Barnard associated press theres much More to Isiah Thomas than a baby face and a pretty a fourth year pro at the age of the former Al America guard at Indiana is leading the Detroit pistons into the second round of the National basketball association with a combination of de sense and record breaking he is great in a multitude of pistons coach Chuck Daly Hes a great offensive a great and a great theres not much he cant forget his his hearts big Ger than most at Thomas could be called the nabs Little big and he is one of those rare performers who usually Man Ages to do something great even when Hes having an off take his most recent for after collecting 50 Points and 25 assists in Detroit first two playoff victories Over new Thomas Only had 14 Points As time ran Down in game 3 wednesday at East the pistons had trailed almost the entire but Thomas hit a 15foot base line jumper Over the outstretched Arm of 68 Buck Williams with two seconds left to give Detroit a 116115 Victory and a sweep of the bestof5 this Thomas set an Aba re Cord with an average of per while leading the team with a scoring the previous assists Kevin Porter of Detroit in averaged Points per game that with you have to be Able to both score and pass so the other teams will respect Thomas when you can hit your shots or make the Guys dont know How to play in the first part of the i was scoring a so teams became con Cious of me scoring and left Guys wide so it was my obligation to make sure i got them the a Quarter of the Way into the Thomas was averaging Points and who believes any team with a High scoring Point guard will not be a Winner because it keeps other players from becom ing involved in the convinced Thom As that the team would be better off if Thom As passed More and shot we Felt the team want doing As Well when he was scoring that Many Daly we needed him to deliver the Ball More and he started doing then he started to see that he could break the record in terms of assists and picked up the Pace even Isiah can score when Hes but he has to decide when its Hes the heart of the franchise and i rely on his the key to Thomas Success is his ability to get inside the he reduces a relatively simple game to its simplest terms going where the defense is weakest and reacting away from where it Isiah is so Quick and he puts so much pressure on your Williams youve got to Stop him from when Isiah comes it gives your de sense even if you keep him from the rest of the team knows to look for a pass and get off the open in Aba Only Archibald and Oscar Robertson rival Thomas in combining scoring and play making in the same Archibald is the Only player to win the assist and scoring titles in the same averaging Points and assists for Kansas Cit Omaha in in Robertsons Best he averaged Points and assists for which never won a Champi the pistons have yet to come close to title Caliper with Thomas in the he was bitterly disappointed a year ago when Detroit lost to new York 32 in a Besto five losing one game by one Point and the fifth game in the Thomas trademark his smile has been missing because of the intensity of the you Only see me 40 minutes a Thomas i still laugh and but its like anything theres a time for it and a time to be a photo pistons Isiah Thomas heart of the franchise tigers Ace free agent at seasons end Gibson gambles on big big Bucks Detroit up Kirk big play Man for the Detroit is taking off on the big play that he figures will take care of him for Gibson is gambling on a big season with the tigers that will net him a megabucks Multi year contract of at least five years he is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the he decided to take the risk of a oneyear contract after not agreeing on a multiyear pact with the Detroit first player to hit 20 Home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season is cover ing his bet at the same time Hes making do i look stupid of course i Gibson said when asked if hed taken out an insurance policy on the possibility of a Ca ree disabling injury this i knew when i didst sign a Lon term contract id be taking that so of course i the left handed hitting right fielder put together his first full season in hitting with 27 Home runs and 91 plus 92 runs and 29 stolen battered opposing pitchers in the he hit and was voted most valuable player of the american league then hit with two homers and seven Bis in the those were further indications he is begin Ning to mature As a player and could have the breakthrough year that makes him a super in on a Good the people surround ing me Are he i have Ive always had the but now Ive gained a lot of in i definitely think at the it takes three strikes to get me you can completely fool me on then ill hit the same pitch out the next with a Man on one out or if we have to get a Man i know in a darn hard in Tough to get i adjust Well to situations and when i first came i was awed by a lot of not i have competitive respect for other but in not in when i first saw Carl i legend another difference in the 27yearold Gibson is he no longer approaches every at Bat with self destruct his first couple of seasons Gibson approached every play As if it were the last inning of the last game of a tied world i just know what it takes to make it through the Gibson i have to save before it was fallout the outstanding catch Gibson made of George bretts sinking line drive in the american league playoffs dramatized his improvement As a i cant emphasize enough How much Al Kaline has Gibson said of his tutoring by his Hall of Fame predecessor in Tiger stadiums right now i seem to be in position to make the he also always seems to be in position for bad part of it is Gibsons part of it is his larger Hanife after a couple of centuries of spotless he the Public likes warts on its Gibson has been involved in More than his share of unflattering encounters with the especially autograph most of the people in rude to Are rude to Gibson they act like i owe them an i you dont have to do you do things by i do things because i want not because i have i dont like to give autographs when in on the Field because in after the ill sign until everybody but this is my would you like me to come up and ask for your autograph when youre working in not a bad i can but when people see me in Public they have to understand there really not my friends there my i like to keep my Gibson Hopes Detroit can keep its Dis Tance Between itself and its division rivals this you know in a team i like to the end objective is to win the world Gibson everything else is if we do i know everything else will fall into television baseball Kansas City royals at bos ton red 8 hockey nil playoffs Quebec Nordi ques at Montreal 3 radio baseball new York Yankees at Chi Cago White pro basketball Portland Trail Blaz ers at los Angeles lakers joined in Prog Frankfurt Eye Usa eur titles by the stars and stripes Kaiserslautern panthers can wrap up their first mens basketball title and Frankfurt Falconette can repeat As Usa eur women champs with Victo Ries representing 21st sup port invaded Augsburg Sheridan Cavern gym to meet the powerful crusade Pride of Vii corps in the opener of their Besto three mens title Usa eur basketball Center Tony Gray scored 34 Points in that one As coach Clarence Wicks pan thers bulled their Way to an 8581 the series switches to Kaiserslautern Kleber gym for the 2 second game if Augsburg wins that the series is scheduled for 2 also in Kleber where Rabid panthers fans crowd the Baseline area seven deep to move the Walls and shake dust from the the Frankfurt defending Usa eur titlist from v look for their second straight Crown saturday against the Mannheim lady Mustangs of 21st support coach Bill burdens Falconette used Donna Bra boys clutch free throw shoot ing Down the stretch in the series opener wednesday to overcome woeful 21of76 shooting from the Field and pull out a 62 59 verdict before a sparse crowd at Mann Heims Benjamin Franklin Village sports who scored All her 15 Points in the second hit nine of 10 free the series switches to Frankfurt fal cons nest gym at 2 if the lady Mustangs win that the i necessary game is scheduled for 2 also at