European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 28, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports everyone gave us a lift7 As spurs clip los Angeles a photo Detroit s Isiah Thomas loses Ball against nets thursday by the associated press san Antonio. Texas the los Angeles lakers knew just How the san Antonio spurs Felt. The spurs arc probably the hottest team in the Aba right now. And All the bounces Are going their Way lakers guard Earvin magic Johnson said. The spurs handed los Angeles its fourth loss in 28 National basketball association games 109-91, thursday night. We know How that feels because when we play Well All the bounces go our  san Antonio played without Starling play maker Johnny Moore who was hospitalized with migraine headaches the spurs took a 51-39 half Lime Lead and coasted the Rusl of the Way against the defending Aba champions As Forward Steve Johnson scored 26 Points and Sel Dom used guard Jon Sundvold added 18. We missed Johnny Moore but every one gave us a lift said Sundvold who has averaged 7.1 Points while appearing in 23 of san Antonio s 30 games. The key to a Good club is when someone goes out and someone else Steps Forward. In inc Aba everyone can beat anyone so you have to be ready to play every  this is a Good working Man s team. These Guys give you a solid Effort every night coach Cotton Fizsimmons said. Steve Johnson third in the Aba in Field goal percentage hit 10 of ii shots Aba Roundup from the Field against the lakers. This was just i Good old fashioned whip Ping in every Way lakers coach Pat Riley said. We shot Only 4 for 22 in the second quark or and that really hurl us. This was a very big game for the spurs and they wanted it More than we  the Victory was the fourth straight for the spurs while the lakers winning Streak was stopped at five. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 15,786. It was the spurs first capacity attendance in 2 i years. Mike Mitchell tallied 19 Points and Alvin Robertston had 17 Points 13 re Bounds and eight assists to help the spurs. The lakers were led by Kareem Abdul Jabba with 24 Points and Johnson with 22, elsewhere in the Aba nets 124, pistons 116 East Rutherford no. New Jersey continued to Roll winning its fifth straight game and the ninth in its last 10 outings behind the Strong play of Buck Williams. The Power Forward scored 14 of his 26 Points As new Jersey outscored de troit 39-1h during an 11 minute Span of the first half. Detroit closed a 25-Poinl deficit to 03 46 by half time. Kelly Tripucka s hot shooting in the third period when he scored i of Lii. Game High 27 p.niit-, gut the pistons within eight Points on i Moc casinos the nets also got 21 Points from Mich Cal Ray Richardson. Isiah Thomas ind finnic Johnson added 23 Points each for the pistons. Kicks 113, bulls 96 Chicago new York Elaml with out Rookie Center Patrick i Wing but still beat Chicago for its fourth straight Vic Surv As Pat Cummings scored 22 Points. Fwing who sustained a slightly sprained knee wednesday did not accompany the team to Chicago. He is expected to suit up for the kicks game against Atlanta on saturday. Chicago s George Girvin led All scorers with 30 Points. The bulls lost control of the game when they failed to score a Point on eight consecutive possessions in the third period after leading 59-55 at the half. Rockets 106, jazz 99 Houston the rockets a game Home winning Streak was in Leopard Unhul Lewis 1 to d spearheaded a 10-0 of mirth Quarter run that saw the rockets turn an 87-80 deficit into a 90-87 advantage Lloyd scored six of his 21 Points during the spree and the rockets never trailed again. Akeem Ola jul won shared Houston s see Aba on Page 23 a picks Ditka As nil coach of year new York a Mike Dilka who coached the Chicago bears to the National football league s Best regular season re Cord and created a phenomenon that helped improve the nil s sagging television rat Ings was chosen Friday by the associated press As the coach of the year. For the 46-year-old Ditka who spent his coaching apprenticeship in Dallas under the reserved Tom Landry it was a year in which his flamboyance May have been As important As the bears 15-1 record. Almost fired a year ago after his old style Tough Guy image clashed with team president Mike Mccaskey s Ivy league background Dilka was not Only the nil s most successful coach but also its most innovative. Long after his team is forgotten Ditka May be known As the coach who inserted 300 Pound Rookie defensive lineman William the refrigerator Perry As a running Back in goal line situations. Perry ran for two touchdowns caught a pass for another and changed the. Nil s somewhat stodgy image. Dilka was an overwhelming Winner in voting by three sports writers and broadcast ers covering each of the nil s 28 teams. He received 66 Voles with five going to runner up Raymond Berry of new England and therelo Landry. Tom Flores of the los Angeles raiders John Robinson of inc los Angeles rams Joe Gibbs of the Washington redskins Don Shula of the Miami dolphins and Joe Walton of the new York jets each received scattered support. There Are a lot of great coaches in football and i m very privileged Dilka said. Bui i m realistic. Coaches Are voted on their record. I m fortunate to have a Good football team and Good assistant coaches so i Don t get Loo caught up in thai individual glory. The award is shared by the football team As Well As inc Assis Lani coaches. And i m not just saying that to be idealistic or altering to  being idealistic and flattering has never been the style of a Man who once listed his heroes As John Wayne Vince Lombardi and Ronald Reagan. A collegiate Star Al pills Burgh Ditka was the prototype nil tight end in the 1960s Wilh the bears Philadelphia eagles and Dallas cowboys. He played in five pro bowls with the bears. Ditka was an assistant under Landry at Dallas from 1973 until 1981, when he was named head coach of the bears by the late George Halas the Man for whom he had played in Chicago. In his first season the strike shortened year of 1982, the bears finished 3-6 and out of the 16-Tcam playoffs. The next season Chicago improved to 8-8 and last year won the pfc Central title with a 10-6 record despite losing starting quarterback Jim Mcmahon for seven games and inc playoffs because of injury. The bears advanced to the pfc title game before losing 23-0 to eventual super bowl Champion san Francisco. The 1984 season probably saved Ditka a Job. Mccasky Halas grandson and Succes Sor was openly critical of Dilka on several occasions including  incident when inc coach injured a hand banging in on a locker after a loss. This season however there were no clashes. The bears won i hair first 11 games clinching their pfc Central Lilly earlier than any learn had Ever before clinched a title and establish ing themselves As the nil s dominant team. A photo bears coach Mike Dilke. Very Fortun Alc in 1985 Bucks want of Stop by on fhe ground too Orlando Fla. A when a team gels ready to face the Nalion s top passing team in stands to reason that Pas defense would be emphasized. But Ohio Sale defensive coordinator Gary Blackney says his squad is doing the exact opposite to prepare for a showdown with no. 9 Brigham Young in the Florida Citrus bowl saturday an 6 30  Blackney said the buckeyes will be out to top the by running game almost As much As its vaunted passing attack. The no. 1 thing you have to do against any great offensive team is you can t Lor get that they run the Ball extremely Well he said. You have to understand and recognize the excellence of their passing game but you also have to realize that they can run the Ball Well Loo. We have got to control the run because i Don t think you can comply Lily Slop the pass. They will get some Yards but our goal is to keep them off the  by has passed for 4,608 Yards this season with quark crack Robbie Bosco accounting for 4,273. The cougars Are the nation s no. 1 passing team. On the other Side of the Coin by is averaging 145.7 Yards per game Rushing. In comparison no. 17 Ohio state considered one of the top four passing teams in the suddenly pass Happy big ten con Ference is 42nd in the nation in passing the buckeyes behind quarterback Jim Arsalos passed for 2,209 Yards less irian half of the Brigham Young total. We just want to control Robbie Bosco Ohio slate linebacker Chris Spielman said. We need a Good Rush we need the backs in Good coverage and we need the linebackers moving to the Ball. We can ice them establish the run and the pass or they la hurl  their offence scares me Ohio coach Earle Bruce said. How can a learn gel that much offence a game something like 380 Yards actually 354.5 passing Bruce admitted that inc buckeyes have had their share of problems on pass cover age this season. Our pass defense has been up and Down. We have Gollo show whal we can do he said. Bosco comply los just Aboul two of every three passes he throws destroying inc myth thai iwo of the three things thai happen on pass plays Are bad. He has thrown for 30 touchdowns while ranking seventh nationally in passing efficiency and second in total offence. We will nol Force Ihm to pass Black Ney said. I m saying they run inc Ball a lot better than a lot of people realize. If you forget the run and worry about the pass they la beat your defense. There is no ques Tion thai the passing game is As Good As any team in the United Stales. Bui unlike some people that we be played they can move the Ball on the ground