European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 5.1987 the stars and stripes Page 17 the americas cup Pony leave Australia without it stars & stripes wins Fremantle Australia int Dennis Conner avenged his 1983 loss of the America s cup wednesday sail ing a Brilliant final race to win Back yachting s most prestigious trophy for the United slates. Conner s Star & str pcs led the Way around the 24.3-Naulical-Milc course to defeat Kookaburra Iii Australia s defender by i minute. 59 seconds the largest margin of the series that gave stars & stripes a 4-0 sweep in the Bucsi of seven series and touched off celebrations Halfway round the world particularly in san Diego which will be the new Home for the cherished yachting cup. The stars & so rips team took com Mand at the Start. Forcing lain Murray and his Kookaburra 111 team to Chase inc . Yacht. More than 400 vessels filled with rooters waited eagerly for the race to begin overhead. 12 helicopters buzzed the Indian Ocean course. Conner edged his Blue hulled 12 meter yacht up to he starting line heading for the preferred left Side of the course. Kookaburra was in hot Pur suit holding course to Windward of Star & slopes in an Effort to Force Conner Over the line Early a moderate Breeze of it knots ushered the two boats through the first part of the race by the first Mark it was filling to 18 knots the condition that the stars & stripes team likes Best. At the first Mark the . Yacht was 26 seconds ahead. Murray sailed a faster downwind pkg gaining four seconds on stars & so rips. But after the third leg sailed upwind Conner had stepped on the accelerator rounding the third Mark 41 seconds in front. In inc next two reaches Stan & stripes held a firm grip on the Lead. At the fourth Mark inc Kookaburra team flailed for nearly a minute As i tried to bring in the Spinnaker that had broken free. At that Mark. Stars & stripes rounded with a 49-second advantage its largest so . In the fifth leg. Kookaburra Man aged to steal oiv.1 second from Conner s Lead. But in the sixth leg Conner lengthened his Lead to 1 1 l after rounding the seventh Mark with a Lead of i l6, Conner sailed up the final leg to his second America s cup Victory in the four limes he has taken the Helm of a 12-meter yacht in the International event. Sports Reardon to bolster twins1 pen Minneapolis a Minnesota twins officials feel that he addition of reliever Jeff Reardon acquired in a fix player Trade with Montreal could double he strength of their bullpen. Getting a top reliever was Minnesota s first priority because the american league team last 26 games last year after leading or being lied in the seventh in Ning. Reardon had More saves than our whole bal club last year twins manager Tom Kelly said. He s the Guy we re definitely looking for to win some or these  Reardon and Catcher Tom Nieta were acquired by Minnesota tuesday for Pitcher Cal Heaton Catcher Jeff Reed and minor league pitchers Al Hardwood and Yorkis Perez. Andy Macphail the twins executive vice president said the club Hud been working to get Cardon since the Winter baseball meetings in december. The right hander was second in the National league in saves last year with 35, 11 More than the twins team total. Reardon 3j, was 7-9 with a 3.96 earned run average. His Best season was in 1985 when he led the no with 41 saves. Expos general manager Murray Cook said that while it was difficult Tor inc club to Trade its top reliever he Tell rear Don s loss would be softened by a Strong Montreal bullpen. Reardon reached at his Home in West Palm Beach fa., said he was Happy with the Trade. He has worked under Rick re Nick and Bob Gebhard former Montreal coaches who have been hired by the twins. I was t really surprised because every Winter i be been hearing my name mentioned in trades said a Carton the Only major leaguer with at least 20 saves in each of he last five seasons. Rockets lose game Sampson for 6 weeks Houston a Houston rockets Forward Ralph Sampson suffered a knee injury in tuesday night s 107-105 loss to the to Var nuggets and will be out six weeks meaning he will miss the Aba All Star game Ralph will be out for from six weeds to the end of inc season rockets coach Bill Fitch said. Hopefully it won t take him out he whole  Sampson earned a Starling spot on the Aba West pm division All Star team that will play the East All stars sunday in Seattle. Sampson a out earlier this season with an ankle injury. He fell to the floor with six minutes to go in the first Quarter tuesday and had to be helped from the court. He returned for the Star of the second Quarter with a Brace on his ailing left knee but he played Only briefly and left the game for Good. The Only thing we have to do is go out and play a perfect game thursday Fitch said. We have to gel this Monkey off our Back. We have to win our first game without Ralph Sampson the rockets have already lost two key players this season. Guards Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins were dismissed from he team Jan. 13 for using co Caine. Sampson missed 11 of Houston s first 13 games this season with two sprained Ankles. Denver took advantage of the Sampson mishap As Lafayette lever had double figures in paints rebounds and assists for the 10th Lime this season and Mike Evans scored the go ahead Points with 17 seconds left. Lever had 26 Points 14 rebounds and 11 assists As the nuggets rallied from a 10-Point deficit late in the third Quarter Aba Roundup Akeem Olajuwon led the rockets with 25 Points and 14 rebounds. Hawks 126, celtics 123 of Atlanta Dominique Willins capped a 54 Point performance with a three Point play with 7 seconds left in overtime then added a pair of free throws to give Atlanta its Victory Over Boston. Wilkins who had been bothered by a Back injury did t Pel going until after intermission. He scored 13 Points in the third Quarter 18 in the fourth and nine in overtime. It was the third highest scoring night of his career and the i5lh time he scored 40 or More. Kevin Mchale led Boston with 36 Points. Larry Bird had 26 Points 15 rebounds and 14 assists. Enl cos 110, Bucks 109 Milwaukee Patrick Ewing scored 30 Points and Gerald Wilkins added 24 As new York fought off a Milwaukee rail 1 in the fourth Quarter and snapped a seven game losing Streak. Bulls 98, bullets 91 Chicago Michael Jordan scored 32 Points including 16 straight in the third Quarter As Chicago overcame a 14-Poinl deficit and Defeated Washington to snap a five game losing Streak Jui 101, Kings 9$ Salt Lake City Thurl Bailey scored eight of his 2$ Points in the final 2 15, leading Utah Over Sac Ramento. Spurs 111, warriors 103 san Antonio this Artis oilman had 24 Points and is rebounds to Lead san Antonio Over Golden slate. 76crs Julius erring alms put Sieve Stipinovich. 76ere�, Paten 94 1ndjanapoljs Roy Hanson and Andrew Toney scored nine Points apiece in the final Quarter As Philadelphia came from behind to hand Indiana its seventh straight loss. Charles Barkley led the 7fiers with 22 Points. Trail blurs 117, sum 103 Portland. Ore. Kiki Vandeweghe scored 28 Points and Sieve Johnson grabbed a game High 12 re Bounds leading Portland Over Phoenix