European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes wednesday december 28, 198b suns Mirk West Ltd and lakers James worthy Battle for rebound at Phoenix Aba from Page 21 stages of the contest it s fun to be in the situation to hit the big shots at the end and win Down the stretch he said. Sparrow Miami s lop scorer with a sea son High 28 Points said i tried to get the shots. I was in my rhythm. When you feel it you say give me the Ball " Greg Anderson was inc leading scorer with 23 Points for the spurs who have los six straight on the Road and 10 of their last ii games. In other Aba games monday rockts97, hornets 95 Charlotte . Akcam Olajuwon scored 23 Points including a Dun with 1 03 Cal hot save Houston s Victory Over Charlotte. Houston held an 89-82 Lead following Bernard Thompson s reverse Layup with 7 19 left but inc hornets staged a 13-6 rally tying the score 95-95 with 3 29  Only Points the rest of the Way were scored on the Dunk by Obj won who also had is  Woodson. Scored 22 paints for the rockets. Robert Reid led the Hor nets with 25 Points and Kelly Tripucka finished with 19. Bullets 120, nets 108 East Rutherford no Jeff Malone had 30 Points and John William scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth Quarter As Washington Defeated new Jersey. Malone scored 12 Points in the third Quarter. Mike my acc led the nets with 25 Points while Lester Conner added 17 Points and a season High 12 assists. Suns i lakers96 Phoeni Tyrone Corbin had 21points and 10 rebounds in his first career Start for Phoenix and Eddie Johnson Radii of his 21 Points in the fourth period As the suns beat inc slumping los Angeles lakers for their ninth straight win at Home. The loss was the lakers sixth consecutive loss on the Road their longest skein since March april 1979. Phoenix 12-2 at Home this season won for the 10th time in the last 13 Overall and moved within one game of the Pacific division leading lakers magic Johnson finished with 22 Points for inc lakers before he was Etc Etc in the fourth Quarter. Tom Chambers led photo nixwith23points, pats Stephens is nil offensive Rookie of year by Howard Ulman Foxboro mass. A his name is Plain his school Small and his personality Bumble. John Stephens Talent though is Eye catching. The sort spoken Star from Northwestern la state became the focus of the new England patriots offence As a Rookie. He ran inside with Power and outside with Speed. He surprised himself but no this Roaches. Without a doubt he s our most valuable offensive player patriots running backs coach Bobby Grice said we thought he had that kind of ability from the first Day we saw him on  now Many others know of that ability after the 6-1, 220-Pound Stephens was named the nil s offensive Rookie of the year tues Day by the associated press he received 30voles from sports writers and Broad casters in each of laity. Philadelphia tight end Keith Jackson pot 29 Voles Cincinnat running Back Cocy Stephen Woods 19 and los Angeles raiders wide receiver Tim Brown 4. Stephens did t attend a major school like Jackson s Oklahoma does t have the Catchy name or the fancy end zone dances of Woods or he Heisman trophy of  pro scouts still found him at his division Laa school. Playing against second level Competition did t keep him from sex calling against first rate nil , who expected to be a Back up As a Rookie rushed for 1,165 Yards fourth most in Patriot history and fifth in the nil this season. His Peers picked him to Start with Eric Dickerson in the acc s pro bowl Backfield. One of his Best games was the season ending 21-10 loss in Denver that left new England w h a 9-7 record and out of the playoffs. He gained 130 Yards in that game including a 52-Yard run and a 23-Yard touchdown Dush. I la think about it Over and Over again Stephens said of the loss. If i had done this or that maybe we would have made inc  , the patriots without a productive passing attack would t have come close to the playoffs. It makes me feel Good to gain the Rookie Honor he Saia. Then he added but mainly Don t concern myself with awards because you Don t control what happens with  he s very mature for his age said Sam Goodwin his College head coach. He s just n Good role Model for Young  it was at the senior bowl where Stephens first recognized that having played for a division Laa school did l mean he could t keep up with the division i Astare. It was in new England s first preseason game that offensive tackle Bruce Arm Strong recognized that Stephens could hold his own with some of the top pros. He s a horse Armstrong said i Hope we can give him the bail a  was Early in the season when coach Raymond Berry recognized the Wisdom of thai lactic. Sec aliens curried she Ball 297 times second in Patriot history 16 Jim Nance s 299 in 1966.but until his senior year at Springhill la High school he was an offensive lineman and linebacker we recruited him with the idea that we d Start him out at running Back but he d probably end up at linebacker Goodwin said. Stephens ended up As the school s Ca reer Rushing Leader and was drafted by the patriots with the i7lh pick of the first round. He became a starter in in third game and rushed for More than 100 Yards in five of his last nine games. Offensive guard Sean Parrel said the biggest Factor in his own outstanding sea son was Stephens. He s so Good he makes everybody else look Good Faracl said. He does need big blocks to make big  but Stephens admitted that in his Gist regular season game a 28-3 Victory Over the new York jets he was intimidated simply being on the same Field with peo ple like linebacker Robin Cole and defensive linemen Mark Gallineau an Marty Lyons. .-.-.". Was pm Syajna against some of a Guys i had watched while growing up Stephens said. But As the game went on i forgot about it. As the season went on Stephens Over came time he lost in a training Camp holdout and improved in the passing game. As if opponents did t have. Enough to worry about he was Bucom ing a Complete Back. Rangers Send my new York a Phil Esposito has made More than 30 trades in his 2 i years As the new York rang ers general manager but the most difficult was completed monday when he dealt left Wing Don Maloney Center Brian Lawton and dec Nicman Norryn Mclver to the Hartford whalers for Center Carey Wilson and a fifth round draft Choice in 1990.paloncy 30, who has been with the rangers for 10 years has 195 career goals and 307 assists for 502 Points eighth on new York s All time scoring i isl. This season he had four goats and nine assists in 31games with the rangers. Maloney scored a goal for inc whalers monday in their 4-3 lass to Pittsburgh Mil summaries and standings of Page 12 Paloncy who scored 20 or Mure goals five limes far new York holds the rangers record for game win Ning goals with nine in 1980-81 and was the Wales conference map in the the 1984 All Star game when he had a goal and three assists. He ranks ninth on inc club s Aluinc goals list and eighth in career assists. Maloney played in 653 games with the rangers i4lh on the club s All time list. His brother Dave Maloney ranks 15th with 605 games trading Don was the toughest thing i be done As general manager. Esposito said of the popular for Ward. He s been a class Guy All the  in 34 games with the whalers Wilson had i goal Sand 11 assists. ,. ,".-.-" after playing in the 1984 olympics for Canada Wil son played five seasons in Calgary before being traded to Hartford in 1987. His Best season was 1984-85 when he Hud 24 goats and 48 assists for 72 Points for the Rimes Wilson 26, has scored 20 or More goals in each of his nil season. Lawton 24, was obtained from Minnesota this year and had seven goals and 10 assists for the rangers. Mclver 24, was signed As a free agent by inc rang ers on sept. 8, 1986, he has no goals and 10 assists in 26 games. Blackhawk Swap with sabres Chicago the chicag Blackhawk in last place in the Norris division and in need of defensive help traded right Wing Rick Vaive to the Buffalo sabres monday Tor Center Adam Creighton. Blackhawk spokesman Jim Demaria said the team was willing to part with Vaive its sixth leading scorer his season and the no. 3 scorer last year of gel a  for the third line. We be tried plenty of Guys and none has worked out Demaria said the coaches and management fell if a player of this Caliper was available they bad to Gogh drum. ".  Creighton 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds played in 24 games for the sabres this season and scored seven goals with 10 assists valve 29, has averaged about 40 goals and 30 assists during his 9-year nil career. The 6-foom, 190-Pound Vaive had 12 goals and 13 assists in 30 games for the Blackhawk this season his second with Chicago. An sports television and radio College football Liberty bowl Indiana is. Sout Carolina 2 . Thursday