European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 26, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 21sports bullets nip 76ers with Tricky play by the associated press Lan Dover my. A smart play by Reserve guard Dudley Bradley set up the go ahead Basket by Jeff Malone with 43 seconds remaining to Send the Washington bullets a 116-111 Victory Over the Phila Delphia 76ers thursday night tying their Aba playoff series at 2. The deciding game of the Best of five series will be played at Philadelphia sunday. In thursday s Only other Aba playoff game Denver beat Portland 116-112 to take the series in four games. The nuggets next play the Houston rockets on saturday in a Western conference semifinal. The 76ers, who rallied to win the pre Vious two games overcame a nine Point deficit in the fourth Quarter and took a 111 109 Lead with 1 31 remaining. But after a blocked shot by Cliff Robin son Jeff Ruland scored to make it 111-111. Ruland was fouled on the play but missed his ensuing foul shot. Bradley grabbed the rebound and threw the Ball off the shins of Philadelphia s Charles Barkley. Washing ton retained Possession out of Bounds and Malone scored the tie breaking Basket. The first thing i did was look for my team mates said Bradley whose last second three Point shot won game 1. I did t see anyone so the Only thing left was to Bounce it off Charles and Charles is a big  after Bradley scored on one of two free throws to make it 114-111, Barkley missed no playoffs a three Point try Robinson rebounded and was fouled. Robinson missed both free throws with eight seconds remaining but he wrested the Ball from Julius Erving and Sank an insurance Basket. Both Robinson with 31 Points and Malone with 32 posted playoff career High to tals for the bullets. Maurice Cheeks led Philadelphia with 30 Points Erving added 25 and Barkley 22. Nuggets 116, Trail blazers 112 Portland Ore. Alex English hit the decisive Basket with 1 10 remaining and Lafayette lever scored 30 Points to Lead Denver to its series clinching Triumph. The Trail blazers tied the score at 110 on Jim Paxson s three Pointer with 1 23 to go but English put the nuggets on top for Good at 112-110 with a rebound Basket. Clyde Drexler was called for an offensive foul on Portland s next Possession. Two free throws apiece by English and Mike Evans sealed the nuggets Victory. The nuggets who won two in a Row in Portland open their Western conference semifinal series on saturday in Houston. Calvin Natt added 22 Points for Denver. English scored 20. Kiki Vandeweghe topped Portland with 24 Points. Mychal Thompson added 23, but failed to score in the final Quarter. A photo Philadelphia s Maurice Cheeks drives for a Layup against Washington Between Charles Jones left and minute Bol Meagher leads blues past Leafs oilers win from press dispatches Toronto Journeyman Center Rick Meagher get Ting his first playoff experience in seven years in the nil scored his first two career playoff goals thursday night to help the St. Louis blues tie their nil playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. We stuck to our game plan and did everything we had to do said Meagher. The 7-4 St. Louis Victory tied the Best of seven Norris division final at 2-2. We just kept dumping the puck into their zone and kept getting on their defense to create some chances for ourselves. We got a couple of Breaks and the pucks went in for us. It s going to be a Long series yet though. It comes Down to two out of three now. So it s a Long Way from being  game 5 will be played saturday night in St. Louis. In thursday s other nil game Wayne Gretzky collected three goals and set up two others to Lead Edmonton to a 7-4 Triumph Over Calgary deadlocking the Best of seven Stanley cup quarterfinal at 2. Game 5 of the smythe division showdown is set for saturday night at Edmonton. Rih playoffs Meagher 32, played for three other nil teams before joining the blues this season. He scored both his goals including one into an empty net with 24 seconds left in the third period As the Leafs attempted to mount a late rally. I did t really have to do a lot of work for either of my goals but i la take pm said Meagher. They Don t ask How just How  Doug Gilmour also scored twice including a key Short handed goal. Herb Raglan Mark Hunter and Mark Reeds added goals for the blues. Greg Millen was the winning goaltender. Gilmour s second goal 47 seconds into the third period put St. Louis up 5-3. The blues Bernie Federko had the puck at the Side of the Maple Leaf net and Gilmour was on Ken Wreggit s Doorstep with Only one Leaf defens Eman Gary Nylund in position to Check. When both Wreggit and Nylund went for Federko he Slid a pass to Gilmour who redirected the puck into the uncovered Side of the net. Meagher made it 6-3 at 4 28, lifting the puck into an open net with Wreggit on his Back during a scramble. Brad Smith got one Back for the Leafs on a Power play. Oilers 7, flames 4 Calgary Alberta Gretzky s hat trick was the seventh of his seven year career and ties Maurice rocket Richard s nil record for three or More goal games. Gretzky brought his 1986 playoffs goal total to seven and 63 for his career to overtake Phil Espostto and Bobby Hull on the All time list and move into sixth place one behind Yvan Cournoyer. Included in Gretzky s hat trick were a Power play goal in the first period and an even strength score and a Power play conversion in the third. The oilers converted two of their four Power play chances. Calgary capitalized on two of their 13 opportunities. The flames out shot the oilers in each period and 40-27 Overall but Edmonton came out flying and never trailed. Gretzky s pair in the third put the game away As the oilers outscored the flames 3-1 in the period. Foster s hit in 10th lifts mets Over cards by the associated press St. Louis George Foster s two out single in the 10th inning drove Home Wally Backman from second base thursday night and the new York mets extended their winning Streak to six games with a 5-4 Vic tory Over the St. Louis cardinals. The defeat marked the first time the cardinals had lost a regular season game in which they led going into the ninth inning since the final contest of 1984, a Span of 90 such games. The mets tied the game in the ninth on Howard Johnson s two run Homer with one out of Todd Worrell 0-1. Backman led off the 10th with a walk and stole second. Worrell retired Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter and intentionally walked Darryl Strawberry. Fos no Roundup Ter then lined his game winning single to left. Foster had dropped a Fly Ball in the eighth inning for a two base error that Al Lowed St. Louis to score a run and take a 4 2 Lead. But Foster sparked the mets comeback in the ninth with a Lead off Dou ble. The important thing is not to let what happened before bother you Foster said. You be got to stay positive and just concentrate on the task that s at  Roger Mcdowell the fifth new York Pitcher worked the final two innings and raised his record to 2-0. The loss was the fourth straight for the cardinals. Trailing 4-2, Foster led off the mets ninth with a double that finished reliever Tim Conroy. After Worrell retired Ray Knight on a groundnut Johnson hit his first Home run of the season deep into the right Field seats. Andy Van Slyke s two run single capped a three run sixth that gave St. Louis a 3-1 Lead. Strawberry s first Home run of the season had Given the mets ahead 1-0 in the second against Bob Forsch. In other National league games cubs 7, expos 5 Chicago Rick Sutcliffe won his first game of the season and hit a three run Homer leading Chicago past Montreal. Sutcliffe 1-3, pitched 6/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. He connected for the third regular season Homer of his career in the sixth capping a four run sixth. Jerry Mumphrey also homered for Chi Cago. Hubie Brooks and Dann Bilardello hit Home runs for the expos. Dodgers 6, braves 3 los Angeles Mike Marshall and Greg Brock hit Home runs and Orel Hershiser pitched five innings to even his record at 2-2. Los Angeles played its first errorless game of the season. The dodgers made 29 errors in their first 16 games. Phillies 4, pirates 2 Pittsburgh Mike Schmidt hit two Home runs and a sacrifice Fly driving in All of Philadelphia s runs and backing the see no on Page 23