European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes wednesday april 16, 1986 celtics lakers favored in playoffs by William r. Barnard a basketball writer now that the 943-game Aba regular sea son is Over the 16 playoff qualifiers Start championship play this week with the Boston celtics and los Angeles lakers favored to meet in the finals for the third straight year. The bust of five first round series begins thursday with Chicago at Boston Detroit at Atlanta Sacramento at Houston and san Antonio at the los Angeles lakers. The rest of the Field plays Friday with Washington at Philadelphia Utah at dal Las new Jersey at Milwaukee and Portland a i Denver. Matchup in the first round of the Aba playoffs with the team with a Home court advantage in the five game series listed first and each team s seed in parentheses Eastern conference Boston 1 is. Chicago 8 the bulls buoyed by the return of Michael Jor Dan after an absence of 64 games with a broken foot won six times in a nine game stretch to squeeze past Cleveland for the last Eastern conference playoff spot. Jordan has some capable help in Orlando Woolridge and Rookie Charles Oakley but the celtics front line of Larry Bird Robert Parish and Kevin Mchale with Bill Walton in re serve is too big and Strong to be stopped by the bulls. With Jordan around there will be better than average excitement but Boston should win in three games. Milwaukee 2 is. New Jersey 7 the Bucks finished with the third Best record in the Aba after Boston and the los Angeles lakers and won the Cen trial division for the sixth consecutive sea son. The nets started Well with a 23-14 record but the loss of Michael Ray Rich Ardson to drug abuse and Center Darryl Dawkins to Back problems left the team in turmoil and they finished 16-29. Milwaukee  Strong nucleus of Sid Ney Moncrief Terry Cummings and Paul Prescy and a group of role players behind them. New Jersey needs a Strong series from Center Mike Gminski Forward Buck Williams and guard Otis Birdsong to Chal Lenge the Bucks and even that might not be enough. Milwaukee in three. Philadelphia 3 is. Washing ton 6 the 76ers finished the season 6-1 without injured Center Moses Malone the Only loss by one Point at Landover md., on the final Day. Malone still is questionable for up photo Chicago Star Michael Jordan drives on Cleveland Center Mel Turpin. In second Quarter of sunday s Aba season finale Friday s opener against the bullets which evens the Odds considerably and injured guard Andrew Toney definitely is out. Minute Bol the 7-foot-6 Rookie replaced injured Jeff Ruland for most of the season and won the Aba shot blocking title but his All around game does t approach Ruland s. Hot shooting by guards Jeff Malone and Gus Wil Liams could give Washington an upset but Charles Barkley Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks proved in the closing weeks of the season that the 76ers Are a formidable foe even without Malone. Philadelphia in four. Atlanta 4 is. Detroit 5 be fitting their seeding positions this should be the Best of the Eastern conference pairings. Dominique Wilkins who had a Aba sea son High 57 Points last thursday to take control of a close individual scoring race with Adrian Dantley and Alex English took More than twice As Many shots As any of his teammates. Randy Wittman Kevin Willis Glenn Rivers and 5-foot-6 Rookie Reserve Spud Webb All proved they could have outstand ing performances during the Hawks team record equating 50-win season. Detroit with More playoff experience and Isiah Thomas Kelly Tripucka and rebounding Champion Bill Laimbeer should have enough to Edge the Hawks in five. Western conference los Angeles lakers 1 is. San Antonio 8 the spurs were a solid team 24-20, in january but injuries to Start ers Artis Gilmore Johnny Moore and Steve Johnson took their toll in the second half and they won Only 11 of their last 38 games barely holding on to win the last playoff spot. The lakers who finished 62-20 after leading the division by More than 10 games since the All Star break have everyone healthy and Are anxious to Start defending their title. Kareem Abdul Jabbar who just turned 39, is the key for los Angeles which could Well sweep it. Houston 2 is. Sacramento 7 this series could be tougher than rockets fans expect especially if the Kings can avoid losing the first two games in Houston. Sacra mento with some of the loudest fans in sports can be very Tough at Home. Houston is 11 games under .500 on the Road. The Kings have a Good backcourt Trio in Reggie Theus Mike Woodson and Larry Drew. The rockets have had to play Robert Reid at Point guard recently because of John Lucas drug problems and Allen Leavell s injured hand. Leavell is expected to return How Ever and Houston s advantage of Akeem Ola Juwon and Ralph Sampson Over Sacramento s Lasalle Thompson should give the rockets the series in four games. Denver 3 is. Portland 6 the nuggets Are even worse than Houston on the Road finishing 13-28, which makes them vulnerable if they slip at Home. But the Trail blazers who finished 22 games behind the lakers in the Pacific division and had a 12-game losing Streak Are just Plain vulnerable since losing defensive standout Sam Bowie. After giving up on aging Caldwell Jones at Center Portland coach Jack Ramsay moved Mychal Thompson from Forward to the Middle. Picking Denver to win in four games Means the nuggets will have to win at Portland but the two teams relative strength demands it. Dallas 4 is. Utah 5 Utah s Darrell Griffith All season with a foot in jury so Dallas appears to have a big advantage at shooting guard with Rolando Black Man Over Bob Hansen. Point guards Rickey Green and John Stockton of the jazz and Derek Harper and Brad Davis of the Mav Ericks match up equally. It s also hard to choose Between starting Dallas forwards Mark Aguirre and Sam Perkins is. Utah s Adrian Dantley and Karl Malone. Mark Eaton of the jazz and dal Las James Donaldson Are among the big Gest centers in the league but both score Little. Blackman s presence gives Dallas an Edge in five games. Usa eur delays Start of basketball semifinals Schwet Zingen Germany teams set for action wednesday night in the final four of the Usa eur basketball championships will have to wait another week. The schedule for the semifinal Best of three game series was postponed until the same time next week. Officially the reason officials gave was Security. When play gets under Way the Sites will remain the same Kaiserslautern and Vicenza Italy for the men Frank Furt and Mannheim for the women. The Heilbronn eagles representing Vii corps visit the defending usar eur Champion Kaiserslautern panthers of 21st support come next wednesday for a 7 30 . Contest. That series shifts to Vanderhoof gym in Heilbronn for the second and third games saturday and if necessary Sun Day both Days at 2 . After opening their series at Vicenza the Hanau panthers of v corps Host setae at Cardwell gym next saturday and if necessary sunday for 2 . Contests in the other men s semifinal. In women s action the Frankfurt fal Conette from v corps will still open their Best of three series at Home against the Heidelberg generals who won the position tournament at Vicenza. But Home will be Drake Cavern gymnasium rather than their own Falcons nest gym for the 7 30 . Opener next wednesday. Action continues at 2 . Saturday and if necessary sunday at Patton bar Racks gym where Heidelberg will be the Host team. Mannheim s lady Mustangs of the 21st support come have the Home opener in the other series against the Wuerzburg lady rattlers with the Tipoff at 7 30 . Next wednesday. Weekend action at Wuerzburg shifts to Leighton Barracks for 2 . Clashes saturday and if necessary sunday. Indians .500-h/ffing Rookie at loss of explain fast Start Cleveland a Andy Allanson the Rookie Catcher who made the jump from class a to the major leagues because of his defensive ability has no ready explanation for his .500 batting average. You can t control where the Ball goes. I m basically trying to swing the Bat As usual said Allanson who has 10 hits in his first 20 major league at bats for the Cleve land indians. It s crazy he said. I m just trying to get the Ball in play. I m not really looking for anything just trying to see the Ball real Well and get it in play. I just try to be a line drive hitter Lay Down a bunt sometimes and keep out of double plays. But i be got a Long Way to go As a hitter and maybe even More As a  Allanson 24, hit .312 last year for the indians class a affiliate in Waterbury conn., but it was a weak .312. He did not have a Home run he has not had a Home run in 890 professional at bats and he drove in 47 runs last season. He s not going to hit .500 All year but he s hot right now said manager Pat Cor Rales who had gambled on Allanson by re leasing Veteran Catcher Jerry Willard Dur ing Spring training. Allanson has started All but one of the indians six games so far. I m real Happy that Pat and the organization have Confidence in me he said. I m going to do whatever Pat Corrales asks of me and i think he wants me to be a take charge  Allanson did not shy from a Chance to take charge in sunday s 8-2 Victory Over the Detroit tigers. Rookie reliever Scott Bailes who also played at Waterbury last season got off to his third shaky Start in As Many outings walking the first Batter. I think i was afraid to pitch the Way i pitch because i did t think it was Good enough to get people out up Here Bailes said later. Allanson explained that to Bailes in no Uncertain terms. I got on him a Little in the dugout and on the Field Allanson said. If he got mad at me All right. I was just trying to disrupt some of his  the tactic worked As Bailes settled Down to throw 5 1-3 scoreless innings for his first major league Victory