European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday june 14,1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 Aba playoffs Road warriors take the right of Way by Harry Atkins pont1ac, Mich. A the Detroit Piston were Back in the sit verdome but the los Angeles taken were the ones who Felt right at borne in a series when both learns Are playing better on themed. The pistons who beat the celtics twice in Boston during the semifinals won game 1 of the Best-oc-7 Aba championship series in los Angeles last tues Day. But on sunday the lakers who had lost their previous four Road playoff games returned the Favory beating the pistons 99-86 to take a 2-1 Lead. I be said it right along but i be been happier on inc Road than at Home in the playoffs Detroit coach Chuck Daly said. We be come Oul Flat. We just Haven t played quite As Well for whatever Rea son. Maybe we can l handle All the extra people show ing up at our House and so Forth. Who knows our concentration hat to be  in each of the last two series against Chicago and Boston the pistons have responded. They lost game 2 at Home against Chicago then beat the bulls the next three games and won two straight from the celtics to win the Eastern conference title after los ing game 4 at Home. The ukers had lost five of their last six Road playoff games and Are 3-6 on the Road in the Post season but their 26-15 Road Mark was the Best in the Aba during the regular season. This is our Best Road game in the playoffs Lak ers coach Pat Riley said. I think the players we refocused and committed making sure that they weren t going to come in and get taken out by the crowd or by anybody. We hit our first six Choli so they were ready to play. Our team played hard and we played Well and we had to do that to  afterwards the lakers feasted on a table of treat looked up by magic Johnson s Mother Christine who was up cooking until 1 30 . In her Lansing Mich., Home. The food spread included All of magic s favourites including Chicken and Possum salad. Johnson who is still a hero in Michigan where he was both a High school and College Star was the Only los Angeles player to receive a civil Welcome from the crowd of 39,ibb partisan Piston fans. He responded with 18 Points and 14 assists while leading a scorching los Angeles fast break thai broke the game open with an so run Al the Start of the second hair. You can t let a Home team come Oul and get the crowd going Johnson said. The lakers for the second successive game also gave the pistons a dose of their own Medicine on defense. Detroit shot Only 41.7 percent while the lakers shot 51.4 percent the first time in 15 games that a Detroit opponent had hit Over half its shots their big men were killing us in terms of in the first two games we did t have anyone really playing that Well Johnson said. Today our big men came to  . Green scored 21 Points for the lakers and a Arcco Abdul Jabbar added 12. Whether it was Mareera Down Low or whether twas Mychal Thompson or . Out on inc break on the wings getting layups that was the real key cos have Day crying foul by Bill Barnard a basketball writer Pontiac Mich. Chuck Daly was in a foul mood by he time he was whistled for two technical in the fourth Quarter of game 3 of the Aba finals. Even before Detroit lost on sunday the pistons coach was sure the los Angeles lakers were getting every break every close Call from the officials. With 5 05 left in the game and the lakers leading 85-76, Isiah Thomas was called for a foul on Byron Scon and Daly exploded i was upset earlier Daly said. I thought Adrian Dan Ley was fouled several times going to the Basket. We did t seem Able to gel a Call that maybe could Sway it a Little bit our Way. I argued profusely and got  when it comes to calling fouls no Man on Earth is less objective than a coach. To his Way of thinking a 20-19 disadvantage in fouls is a Gross miscarriage of Justice. It s Noi unusual on an Aba sideline to hear a coach scream Al an official hey Thal s three fouls on us and none on them in this  Earl Strom who ejected Daly was overheard Tell ing Atlanta coach Mike Fratello during an earlier round of the playoffs coach officiating is inc easiest Job in the world in your eyes. All i have to do i make every single Call go your Way but while the lakers up Tempo style lends to cause More fouls by the opposition it s not hard to understand Why Daly was upset. To carry Strom s imagery a Little further a look at the numbers might Lead the pistons to double Check to make sure lakers coach Pat Riley in t on the court wearing Black and White stripes making Ever Call go his Way. The lakers on sunday had 34 free throw attempts to 12 for the pistons and outscored them from the line 24-10 while winning the game 99-s6. Detroit was called for 23 fouls the lakers 13, a finals record for fewest in a championship series game. It broke the previous record by three. The pistons have been called for More fouls in each of the Ihrck games in the series while the Lak ers have converted 84 of 107 free throws the pistons49 of 67. And it in t Jusi fouls thai Are gelling under Daly skin. He was certain inc pistons got robbed in game 2when a slam Dunk i got lakers lotion. Just before he was ejected sunday Daly was arguing thai the lakers were in the Lane too Long before Scott was fouled. On that particular play i thought they had camped in the Lane five six seconds Daly said. Riley hinted that Daly s ejection could have been orchestrated to buy a Tittle sympathy for the pistons for the rest of the series he might be trying to create a Little bit of a juror Riley said. He might accomplish it if you the Media Are cooperative with  Detroit spent a lot of Lime Between the second and third games trying to suggest that the lakers were using illegal zone defences. The pistons Are politicking Riley said. They re using that word zone hoping inc officials Meccai me Sion Roo sea am i e slum Dun Opportunity by Dennis Rodma Short circuited when Jess Kersey thought the kers should have been called for a 24-Sccond Vio Johnson said. "1 thought Kanten came out and established his game right from the beginning which i what we  Riley who made headlines last year with his Gua Rantee thai the lakers would repeal As champions said he thinks the pressure is on the pistons now this is Only one gome. Our objective was to win a game Riley said Pur goal is to win the  s win was As big a win As we be Ever had because of the Hole we were in. And now it s their squeeze  the series continues at the sit verdome with game tuesday and thursday nights. We be got a game tuesday and i think we be got to look Al it Riley said. I think the learn is very elated with the win today but they also know exactly what Detroit is All about. We do have an Edge but there s a lot of Basket Ball to be played Isiah Thomas who led the pistons with 28 Points said his learn would t panic. They beat us today Thomas said. They Jusi fall out beat us up they controlled it from Start to finish. It was a combination of things. We were indecisive. We missed a lot  Thomas said however thai he was l especially concerned with the lakers sudden proficiency on defense. I d rather have them beating us at our game because we Don t have a Chance to beat them at their game Thomas said. If it s going 10 be a defensive series i la Lake my  officials Hare pistons Cooch Chuck duly scrawling. Will tee  if Riley was right about thai inc Detroit ploy worked because the lakers were called for illegal defences twice in the first Quarter. Riley was feeling better by the time the game ended however As the pistons had two illegal de sense Calls against them. Chaney hired to bring cooperation1 to rockets Houston a Don Chaney chosen for his ability to communicate with his players monday was named head coach of the Houston rockets Chaney a former University of hous ton player and former head coach of the los Angeles clippers was the Early favorite to replace Bill Fitch fired june 3 after five seasons with the rockets. It s a dream come True Chaney said. I always had it in the Back of my mind to gel Back to Houston As the coach of the  rockets general manager Ray Patter son said Chaney had the qualities to fit the rockets needs. Don s program will be one of Energy and cooperation Patterson said. In considering our problems and who could Best help solve them Chaney stood out As the Guy who fills the  Chaney the eighth coach in the 21 year history of the franchise signed a Multi year contract. Chaney came out of Baton Rouge la. To team with Elvin Hayes and Lead the Houston cougars to the Mcaa College final four two straight years the last m1968. Chaney played for the Boston celtic sin the Aba and was head coach of the los Angeles clippers and had two assist ant coach assignments with the Detroit pistons and this season Wiki the atlant Hawks. The rockets Hope Chaney j skills u a communicator will soothe angry feelings created by last season s turmoil. Fitch led the rockets to the Aba play offs four straight years and icy reached the championship finals in 19s6.but the rockets dropped to third in their Divi Sion in 1987 and finished fourth this sea son and were beaten in the first round of the playoffs. Fitch s Iron listed discipline helped Mold the rockets into a playoff contender and Patterson Hopes Chaney s soft Glove approach will put the pieces Back together