European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday May 28, 1987 the stars and stripes Paga 19 r/7ey fears Long Layoff will Hurt lakers by Bill Barnard Seattle a the los Angeles lakers Are on such a Roll thai a in or Ciglan Day Layoff could work agn Insl Ihm once the Aba Champ Ion ship series starts their coach says. I hate in have a Long Layoff before the finals coach pal Riley said. Well need 1o fabricate some situations id keep the players Sharp the lakers who wept the Seattle. Supersonics 4-0 in the Western conference finals must Wail Tor he conclusion of the Eastern conference series Between Boston and Del roil. The celtics lend trial series .1-2 following their dra Matic 108-107 Victory tuesday night in Boston if the series ends in six games the finals will Start sunday in Angeles. If it goes seven games Llic final series will Start tuesday Fie coming stale is always a problem but i think the rest will do us Good 40-year-old a Arcco Abdul Jab barmaid. We definitely need a lilt a rest defensive Siar Michael Cooper added. It might Lake a Little Edge off our level of play but i think the rest will help us More than Hurt after winning the first three games against the sonics by a total of 14 Points the lakers romped to a 13.1 102 fourth game Victory monday. The lakers said they remembered the sting t f four straight los i to Houston in the conference finals a year ago. The Houston loss really stuck in our minds said James worthy who scored 26 Points in the final game. We Learned from it rather than dwelling on the Houston stole one from us last year and we Learned not to take anyone lightly Cooper said. Coach rile has been warning us about letting teams off the Hook. I thought we did a great Job of putt ing Seattle the lakers have won ii of 12 playoff games this year but they have never looked stronger than during a five minute Span ate in inc first half when they outscored Seattle 22-5. They hit nine of 10 shots from the Field a Dunk by worthy seven layups and a three Point Basket by Byron Scott. The Laker break finally got into gear after Seattle slowed us Down the first three games Cooper said. Cooper the Aba s defensive player of the year said he would like to see a rematch of the two championship series thai the lakers and celtics split in 1984 and 1985. I could lie but admit i want to go Back to play Boston he said. Everyone the fans and All want us to play bos Ion said magic Johnson who had 21 Points and 12 assists in the series clincher. I m kind of 50-50. Bos ton is always a great matchup but i d like to seen Isiah do Isiah Thomas and Johnson Are close friends who have never had a Rance 10 face each her in in playoffs. While the lakers look East 10 determine their future Seattle coach Crnic Bickerstaff could look ahead to better things for his team which has two of the first nine picks in the june 22 Aba draft. The future is Bright if we do it right Bickerstaff said. I m proud of this team. The lakers got a Good lineup against us. The sonics Are a Good basketball learn better than i expected. Neat year we will have sonics Captain Tom Chambers had the same Bright Outlook As his coach "1 want nest season to Start tomorrow he said. This is the first time As a pro that i was sad to Sec the season celts from Page 17 conference Champion los Angeles Lak ers Forth Aba title. Boston which won for the 35th Lime in inc last 36 games at Boston Garden was led by Bird with 36 Points Kevin Mchale with 20 and Johnson with in. Detroit win less in its last 17 games at the Garden since winning on dec. 19. 1982, was led by Adrian Dan Llcy with 25 Points finnic Johnson with 20 and Thomas with 17. Boston Center Robert Parish left the game when he aggravated a sprained left ankle with 3 4 to to. Finnic Johnson then hit a Lone jumper that put Detroit in front 99-95 with 3 05 remaining. But Darren Day hit a three Point play and made two free throws that gave Boston a 100-99 Lead with 2 39 logo and began an 1 m surge. Danny Ainge ended the run sith a jumper from the top of the key for a 106 103 Lead with 53 seconds left. Then Laimbeer connected from just beyond the it ill line with 46 seconds left be fore Bird n., a Short shot with 28 seconds remaining. Detroit called a timeout to set up the play on which Thomas gave the pistons their last 58-56 at halftime Boston began the third Quarter with an 11-2 run manmade the score 69-56 Jib 9- v left in the period. Then Detroit went on a 13-2 run to tic the game 71-71. The celtics were leading 83-17 when Vinzle Johnson entered the game for do Roit with 2 31 to go in the Quarter. He hit a 16-foot jumper to Start an 8-0 Detroit spurt in which he had three Field goals. It gave the pistons an 85-83 Lead hut Rosier got the last three Points of the period on foul shots to to ahead 86-85. Boston took its biggest Lead at 48-36 with 7 23 left in the first half on Sam Vin cent s iwo free throws. Then Sanlley scored nine in a 20-10 pistons surge that Cut their deficit to two Points at half me. Wilh 23 seconds left in the first half Parish punched Laimbeer twice after they hauled for a rebound which Laimbeer had grabbed under Llic critics Basket. Laim Beer appeared to have pushed Parish in the Chest before he was punched. Lamb car fell to inc floor but foul was called on either player. The incident came one Day after Laimbeer was lined s5.000 and Bird 12,000 for a skirmish in saturday s third game. . Jones to miss thursday s game Boston a . Jones will not coach Boston in came 6 of its Aba play off series with Detroit thursday nigh because of the death of his Mother cel tics spokesman Jeff Twiss said tuesday Jones died monday afternoon in the san Francisco area Iii Ler a length illness and the critics coach will attend her funeral there Friday. Twiss said. Assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers is expected to take Over for Jones in Pon Liae mich., thursday night with Chris Ford As his , who celebrated his 55ih birth Day monday knew of his Mother s death uht a he coached the celtics tuesday night in their ios-107 Victory that gave them a 3-2 Lead Over the pistons in the Busl of seven Eastern conference final. Adrian Dantry of Detroit drives past Boston s Kevin Mchale in tuesday s game. All Aba team magic Lone unanimous Choice new York. A magic John son who last week was named the Aba s most valuable player was the Only unanimous Choice on i 1987 All Aba team announced tuesday. Joining the los Angeles lakers guard on the first team were Juard Michael Jordan of the Chicago bulls Cen Ter Akeem Ola Jivon of the Houston Rock ass and forwards Larry Bird and Kevin Mchale of the Boston celtics. Johnson who averaged a career Gigli 23.9 poin i and league leading 12.2 assists per game received 156 Points in voting by a nationwide panel of 7s writers and broadcasters who cover he Aba. Players received two Points for a first place von and one for a second place sole. Jordan who led the league in scor ing Wilh a 37.1 average was the run Ner up in the voting Wilh 154 Points. However two voters left him off their first team. People have a right to their own opinion Jordan said. Bulls coach Doug Collins said Jor Dan had the kind of year that every player in the league dreams of Bird had 151 Points and was named to first icam by 73 voters. Olajuwon had i Poi Nisan Mchale had 125. Johnson and Bird were the Only a1 pliers from hit year s first team. Bird has made the team eight straight years while Johnson was named to the squad for the fifth straight Lime. It was the firm Lime Jordan. Mchale and Olajuwon were Oli d to the first team. Voted to the second team were for wards Dominique Vilkins of Atlanta and Charles Barkley of Philadelphia Center Moses Malone of Washington and guards Isiah Thomas of Detroit and Lafave tic lever of Denver. Nelson top Prospect for Mavericks Job Dallas a Milwaukee Bucks coach Don Nelson emerged tuesday As the . 1 candidate to be inc Dallas Mavericks head coach after a conference Between Mavericks owner Don cancer and general manager Norm Sonju Leam officials said. A club spokesman said Carter was 10 Contact Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl wednesday la obtain permission to in Seniew Nelson for the Mavericks Job which opened when Dick Molla resigned unexpectedly last week. They really did t Contact the Mil Waukee owner today. They have plans to accomplish thai in the said Kevin Sullivan inc Mavericks director of Media relations. Neither Carter nor Sonju returned Calls on tuesday
