European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday. May 18. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 17 sports suns win fake series 4-1 Ewing keeps kicks alive Phoenix a Dan major la scored nine of his 24 Points in a Pivotal third period and Tom Chambers had 13 of his 24 in the final 10 minutes As the Phoenix suns beat the gel Dan state warriors 116-104 tuesday night to win their Western conference semifinal play Oft series in five . Patrick Ewing scored 32 Points to pull the new York kicks within 3-2 in their Eastern conference semifinal series As they beat the Chicago bulls 121-114. Phoenix winning the last three games to take thebcst-of-7 series 4-1, advanced to the conference finals against the two time defending Aba Champion los Angeles lakers. That Bcst-of-7 series starts saturday at Inglewood. Calif. The suns who trailed by 11 Points late in the Sec Ond Quarter and 50-49 at halftime after making 12 turnovers and Only 41 percent of their Field goals took the Lead to stay at 71-70 on Chambers jumper with 3 34 left in the third period. Major la. Known More for his defense came off the Bench and hit a slam Dunk with 1 26 remaining and a 3-Point goal with 27 seconds to go for a 79-74 Phoenix Lead after three quarters. The suns opened the fourth period with five consecutive Points capped by Majerle s 3-Point play and stretched the Lead to 96-83 on Tyrone Corbin s mid court steal and stuff with 7 36 to play. Golden slate getting two jumpers and a 3-Point goal from Rookie of the year Mitch Richmond Cut the Gap to 103-98 with 2 54 left. Eddie Johnson hit consecutive jumpers and Kevin John son jump Corwith l 35lcft gave the Sunsa i09-98bulgc. Chambers two laying and a 3-Poinl play made it 116 102 with 26 seconds showing and clinched the Victory. Kevin Johnson finished with 24 Points and ii assists while Corbin had 15 Points and 10 rebounds. Chambers and Eddie Johnson each had 11 rebounds. Richmond paced the warriors with 23 Points. Chris Mullin added 22 and Winston Garland 17 for Golden state which was our bounded 55-45 in game 5 and 279-215 Overall in the series. Ralph Sampson who stayed on the Bench in five of the warriors previous seven playoff games and had a combined 0 Points in 22 minutes in games 1 and 4, had six Points and three rebounds in the first Quarter tuesday night. Sampson s tap in with 2 50 left started a 10-2 run that gave Golden state a 26-22 Lead after the first period. A 12-4 spun sparked by four Points each from mul Lin. Richmond and Rod Liggins put the warriors up 47-36 with 2 32 left in the Phoenix responded with nine consecutive Points six by Majerle on a jumper and four free throws. The Lead changed hands three times in the third Riba playoffs bulls Bill Carl right Battles kicks Patrick Kwi Quarter before the suns took control. In the other playoff game tuesday kicks 121, hulls 114 new York Patrick Ewing was t worried that his subpar performance in the Plav ofis was tarnishing his All Star image. He was worried that it was tarnish ing his image As a Winner. I was t disturbed at the Way i was playing i was disturbed we were Ewing said after he snapped out of a slump with 32 Points nine in the final 1 38. Ewing s performance which helped offset 38 Points by the bulls Michael Jordan left the kicks with a 3-2deficit in the Bcst-of-7 series. Chicago will Advance to the Eastern conference finals against Detroit w ill a Victory in Chicago Friday night or Back at Madiso Square Garden sunday. Ewing was chastised after scoring Only 10 Points on s-for-15 shooting in sunday s 106-93 loss at Chicago. But he said he paid Little attention to the criticism. I Don t read much of what the papers say about said. My Only vindication is winning. I Don t blame myself that we lost. It s a team game. I scored a lot of Points tonight but it s not the Only reason we Chicago is seeking to reach the conference finals for the third time in franchise history. The bulls lost to Milwaukee in 1974 and Golden state the following year. The kicks arc trying to become the fifth team in Aba history to win a playoff scrip safer trailing 3-1. Ewing. Who made 56.7 percent of his shots in the regular season while scoring 22.7 Points per game was averaging 17.9 on 45 percent shooting in the playoffs before tuesday s game when he went 12-for-20. The bulls who held the kicks to 93 and 8s Points in the previous two games trailed Only 63-61 in the first minute of the third Quarter. But the kicks out scored Chicago 31-16 the rest of the period to Lead 94 77 going into the final 12 minutes. Rod Strickland gave the kicks their biggest Lead. 96-77, to Start the fourth period but Jordan led a Chicago rally scoring 17 Points in the Quarter. Chicago closed the Gap to 110-105 with 2 50 left hut Ewing responded with a Baseline jumper for a seven Point Lead with 1 38 to go. After baskets by John Paxson and Jordan made it 112-109, Ewing scored on a turnaround and a breakaway Layup. Making it 116-109 with 33 seconds left. Ewing made three free throws after that offsetting another Basket by Jordan and a 3-Pointcr by Paxson. A 3-Pointer by Craig Hodges sparked a 9-0 run that gave Chicago a 13-8 Lead. The kicks came Back with a 25-13 run during which Mark Jackson and Gerald Wilkins scored six Points apiece. Dave Corzine who scored Only three Points in the first four games of the series had 14 in the second period to keep the bulls close. A 3-Pointer by Paxson and Jordan s3-Poinl play closed the Gap to 62-59 at halftime. New York s Jackson who had 14 assists logo with 14 Points in running an excellent floor game said Felt the intensity level picking up because we had to either put up or go on a Long vacation. You have to tip your hat to Patrick Ewing. Lie did a phenomenal Job defensively an offensively. Prime Lime players come through in that situation and he carried so far pistons Are perfect in playoffs Milwaukee a the bad boys of bask tall could not have been better in the first two rounds of the Aba play offs. The Detroit pistons have played seven games and won seven. After sweeping past the Boston celtics in three games the pistons polished off the Milwaukee Bucks in four straight winning a berth in the Eastern conference finals with a 96-94 win monday night. So who s next or docs it really matter whoever we play will be Tough said guard Joe Dumars. If we play Chicago twill be Tough. If we play new York it will be the bulls Lead the kicks 3-2 inthe Bcst-of-7 semifinals series. The pistons criticized for rough House tactics demonstrated they can win by protecting a Lead As they did in game 3 when they never trailed during a 20-Point Victory Over they can rally from Way Back As they in game 4 when they made up a 21-Point a Cicil against the Bucks who were so in jury ravaged they could suit up Only eight players. But the pistons find a Way to win. Whether it s rough stuff inside or making 3-Noint ers from the Peri Mitch. Now they Welcome a respite As Long As it s not eight Days the period of Lime the had to wait Between their first two series. The Layoff should not throw us off sync Mark Aguirre said. But we do not want a Long Layoff. There is the fear in All of us that we need to play up to our ability every game. The thing about the upcoming Layoff to that we will be physically and men tally Bucks had beaten Detroit four of six limes in the regular season. They played three of the four playoffs games without leading scorer Terry Cummngs. Who had a sprained ankle and they played the last two without Larry Krystkowiak who under went knee surgery monday after being injured Early in game 3. But icy offered no excuses. Now they will have a five month period to rest and Ponder the successes and shortcomings of the season. Detroit s Murk Aguirre Battles Milwaukee s Terry Cummings in playoff action
