European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes sunday february 25,1990 pistons have everybody pushing d by Bill Barnardas basketball writer scores in the 70s Are popping up everywhere teams Are getting shut out for entire overtime periods and Dennis Rodman makes the All Star game averaging less than nine Points. What s going on Here defense is in in the Aba. With the defense minded Detroit pistons making the Aba finals twice and winning a title by holding teams under 100 Points in 15 of 17 playoff games Theresa of the league has discovered that defense wins games and championships. The closer everybody gets to parity and teams fee like they have a shot at winning they re going to do whatever it takes to get Over that says Joe Dumars. A pistons spark plug at both ends of the court. They realize that playing defense gets you Over that in the Early 80s, we knew we could outrun Sandoul score you the lakers magic Johnson said. That s not the Way we look at the game teams have found out you can win with coach Chuck Daly said. It gives teams with not As Good offensive players a Way to the pistons Are leading the league by giving up fewer than 98 Points per game this season but it s unmistakable that defense has spread beyond the de fending champions. Five years ago. No Aba team allowed fewer than104 Points per game. At mid season this year. 12 were giving up fewer than 104. Twelve teams gave up fewer than 110 Points in 1985-86, 23 of 27 Are allowing fewer than 110 this year. There were Only three games in 1985-86 in Whicha team scored fewer than 80 Points with a Low of 76. Halfway through this season there already were 21games in which a team scored under 80. With a Low of 68. Analysis an average of 220.4 Points were scored per Gam five years ago. Nine More than this season. Only Denver has scored More than 90 Points in Ever game this season. The pistons and los Angeles lakers who met in thelast two finals making defense glamorous. The first time they met this season on dec. 1 at the forum the pistons held the lakers scoreless in Over time of a 108-97 Victory. It was Only the second shutout in Aba history since the 24-Sccond shot clock Rule started in 1954, although it happened again last week when Philadelphia beat Seattle 100-96 and the two teams combined to go 0 for-14 from the Field in overtime. In the lakers pistons rematch at Auburn Hills Losangeles held Detroit to 44 Points in the second half of a 107-97 Victory. I was stunned by the Way the lakers took it to us inthe second half Daly said. They have made the same commitment to defense that we Detroit has created a defensive mind set around the league and teams copy lakers coach Pat Riley said. In the Early 80s. Transition defense was non existent. When a team was running a coach would say just gel Back now there s sophistication to de sense. Points scored and shooting percentages have dropped and it s not because of a decline in Talent it s a Rise in Johnson said defense has changed dramatically inthe 11 years since he came into the Aba. Detroit won because of defense and once somebody wins using a style everyone wants to use that said. You can t run free through the Lane. The last couple of years you find you la be body checked when you do that. Bodies bigger defences in the 1980s became More sophisticated by necessity to keep up with the offensive Talent coming into the Aba. When i came into the league there was a lot More individual offence against individual defense 10-year Veteran Kevin Mchale said. That s changed and think Boston had a lot to do with that because we had such Good Low Post players that teams had to defend it with a team Mchale s celtics teammate Robert Parish agreed. The game was More physical years ago because you were allowed to hand Check Parish said. Teams Are playing defense As a team now. We had to learn to play team defense or we d get run off the teams getting better at rotating and helping out and they re understanding that that s what wins basketball games nine year vet Tom Chambers also Are getting stronger at rebounding. That s Why scoring is Down because of the Overall work ethic on defense and the importance that coaches Are starting to put on but perhaps the most outstanding Symbol of the increased emphasis on defense was the selection of Rodman by Eastern conference coaches As an All Star. It was an Honor to be named among the top 24players in the Aba said Rodman a career nine Point scorer. I definitely made the All Star team because of my defense. I think coaches respect my work ethic but i d like to Sec More defensive specialists in the Rodman is considered the Best one on one defender in the Aba. Although Daly Only recently made him a starter he considers Rodman indispensable. I Don t think i could win a game without him Daly said. Rodman said that As Aba teams discover they can win with defense specialists like him will become More common. We knew we could t outscore anybody so wearied to of score them with defense always limiting them to one Rodman said. Aba from Page 21 third Quarter giving the Mavericks their biggest Load 85-67, with 2 10 left in the rallied in the final period behind Center Rik Smits Reserve Point guard Ricky Green and Reggie Miller. Green s 15-Foolcr closed the Gap to 93-87, the closest the i Accra could gels its led Indiana with 21 Points and Miller finished with 19. Roy Tarpley had 20 Points and 13 re Bounds for Dallas which won for the sixth time in ils last seven games. Cavaliers 123, manic 96 Richfield Ohio John Williams scored the first eight Points of a 12-0 Cleveland run in the second Quarter and the Cavaliers started the second half with an overwhelming 28-4 surge against Orlando. The magic losers of five straight trailed Only 41-37before Williams scored the next eight Points on a Layup. A Dunk and four free throws. A follow shot by Rad Daugherty and Mark Price s two free throws completed the 12-0 spun making it 53-37. Orlando scored Only four Points in the first eight minutes of the third Quarter and fell behind by As Many As 42 and Daugherty led Cleveland with 21 Points each. Nick Anderson scored 23 for Orlando. Rockets 125, nets 115 East Rutherford. . Otis Thorpe scored20 of his 24 Points in the first half when Houston raced to a 22-Point Lead and went on o snap a Sonen Gam Croad losing Streak by winning at new Jersey. The loss was the 17th in 19 games for the nets whoop wednesday broke the league s Longiv. Losing Streak of the season 14 games by defeating the expansion Minnesota 95-93. Bucks 104, hornets 100 Charlotte . Ricky Pierce scored 31points and Milwaukee hit seven of 10 free throws in the final minute to beat Sikma hit a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left to give the Bucks a 99-96 Lead and Alum Robertson. Pierce and Jay Humphries All contributed free throws to hold off the hornets who have lost 15 of their last 16 games. Bulls 113. Trail blazers 102 Chicago Michael Jordan had 35 Points 10rebounds and 10 assists leading Chicago Over port land for its fourth consecutive Victory. The bulls improved their Home record to 21-2,while Portland s Road Mark dropped to 13-12. Jordan scored 12 of Chicago s 16 Points during a Greg Anderson pins Dell Curry s shot to the Board. Span of 4 28 in the third Quarter and his two free throws with 5 12 left gave the bulls a 77-60 Lead their biggest of the game. The bulls shot 55 percent in the Quarter to 36 percent for Portland which got no closer than nine Points in the fourth Quarter. Jerome Kersey led the Trail blazers with 20 Points and Kevin Duckworth had 19 Points and 12 rebounds. Spurs 105, Timber wolves 95 san Antonio David Robinson had 24 Points,12 rebounds and a career High 12 blocked shots As san Antonio beat Minnesota. The spurs used a 22-4 run to take a 66-48 Lead Early in the third Quarter and increased their Lead to 22 in the fourth Quarter before the Timber wolves closed the Gap to 10. Kuimets 121, clippers 112denver Alex English hit four straight Denver baskets in route to 27 Points helping the nuggets hold off a late rally by los Angeles. The clippers trailing 105-89 with 6 32 left score six consecutive Points before English started his hot Streak. Los Angeles twice closed the Gap to five the Las time at 112-107, but English responded with a couple of running jumpers from the Baseline. Supersonics 97, Kings 85seattle Quintin daily scored 20 Points in i first Start and Michael Cage had 15 Points and 20rebounds for Seattle against Sacramento. Dailey was signed to a contract for the remainder of the season thursday and responded by making 10 of 17 shots from the Field. Lakers 122.76rs 116inglewood. Calif. Magic Johnson scored 10 of the last 13 Points for los Angeles in the final five minutes As the lakers held off Philadelphia. Los Angeles led 74-51 Early in the third period be fore Charles Barkley led Philadelphia within 109-105 with just Over five minutes remaining. Barkley had 32points and 14 rebounds scoring 20 Points in leading the 76ers second half lakers led 102-88 entering the fourth period but scored Only seven Points in the first seven minute before Johnson look Over. He finished with 22 Points and 17 Scott and . Green each had 24 Points for the lakers. Scott scoring 21 in the first half and green14 in the third Quarter. Johnny Dawkins had 19 Points and Derek Smith i for Philadelphia. Smith scored eight of 10 Philadelphia Points Midway in the fourth period to close the Gap to 108-103.los Angeles improved ils Aba Best record to 4012 and increased its Lead Over Portland in the Pacific division to 3"j games. Philadelphia remained i1/ games behind first place new York in the Atlantic division. Celtics 123, Carrlon 111oakland Kevin Mchale matched his season High with 34 Points and grabbed 11 rebounds As bos ton ended a four game losing Streak by defeating Golden Bird had 25 Points and 14 rebounds for the celtics who sent the warriors to their fifth straight defeat and their third consecutive loss at Home since setting a franchise record with 15 straight wins at the Oakland coliseum Arena. Chris Mullin led the warriors with 27 Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway each had 22
