European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 21 sports Hawks nip slumping pistons from wire reports Auburn Hills Mich. A Are the Detroit pistons beginning to feel the pressure that has made it so difficult for Aba champions to repeat the Atlanta Hawks fighting to earn a spot in the playoffs came into the Palace on Friday night and Defeated the pistons 115-111. The Hawks Dominique Wilkins scored 25 Points and made a key defensive play As the pistons lost for the sixth time in 11 games. Detroit scentral division Lead is two games Over Chicago. With Atlanta leading 113-111 with five seconds left the pistons were trying Aba Roundup to set up a tying Basket. Wilkins intercepted a pass by Isiah Thomas was fouled and made both free throws. A i Lay Back and hoped he would pass it to the outside and when he did i jumped out and took control of it a Wilkins said. The Victory moved the Hawks into the final playoff spot in the Eastern conference. A it was a very big win for our team against the world champions a Atlanta coach Mike Fratello said. A we can to afford to lose  the pistons were called for seven technical fouls three for illegal defense. A a the officials called it As they saw it a Detroit coach Chuck Daly said. A a it a their decision they re the Law. They made quite a few zone Calls and that was  the loss was Only the fifth in 38 Home games for the pistons who were 27-0 at the Palace when scoring 100 or More Points. Bulls 116, Bucks 106 Chicago a Michael Jordan had 26 Points and 10 assists and the bulls raced to their ninth straight Victory. The bulls improved their Home record to 34-5. They have six games to play. If the bulls go 6-0, they will win the division. Ricky Pierce had 22 Points and Greg Anderson 20 for Milwaukee which needs a Victory to Clinch a playoff spot.  Timber wolves 117, magic 102 Minneapolis a Tyrone Corbin had 36 Points and 19 rebounds As Minnesota handed Orlando its 11th straight defeat. Tony Campbell had 27 Points and former Urcla standout Pooh Richardson had 26 for Minnesota. Trail blazers 124, Mavericks 92 Portland Ore. A Portland posted 118 most one sided Victory of the season a Drexler and Kevin Duckworth scored 22 Points apiece in the first three quarters against  131, warriors 119 Wood Calif. A los Angeles beat Golden state for its 11th straight Nome Victory behind magic Johnson a 10 rebounds and 13 assists Bou d ens 24 Points and 11 re an sports  7 n Mac netball a new York at Boston 1 pm. Sunday. Roc u radio do e l Milwaukee at Boston 7 . Sunday new York mets at Mon a a a. 2 . Monday. The islanders Gerald Diduck 4 Battles the rangers Darren Turcotte whose teammate Carey Wilson looks for the puck in game 5. Rangers ice Isles a by the associated press new York a fifty years after winning their last Stanley cup the new York rangers look like they could do it again. Mike Gartner scored three goals Friday night As the rangers held off the new York islanders 6-5 to win their opening round playoff series in five grueling games. A the Tough thing to take was that we just did no to have enough to win a islanders Captain Brent Sutter said. A the rangers Are a better team. And have As Good a Chance As anyone to win the Stanley  the rangers clinched the Best-of-7 Patrick division semifinal 50 years to the Day after winning their last nil championship. New York meets the Winner of the Washington new Jersey series for the division title. Gartner scored Power play goals in the first and second periods and the winning goal in the third at Madison Square Garden. They were the first goals of the series for Gartner acquired from Minnesota in february. Gartner was so concerned about his play in the series that he asked coach Roger Neilson about it before the game. A the said i was doing Fine that the Law of averages would catch up with me. He was right a Gartner said. The islanders who had beaten the rangers in five of their six previous playoff series were Over matched this time. The rangers Power play scored three Stanley cup Roundup times Friday night while the penalty killers held the islanders scoreless in four chances and contributed a shorthanded goal. Even the return of Pat Lafontaine and Jeff Norton out with concussions earlier in the series  save the islanders. A their specially teams played extremely Well a said Sutter who played with a separated shoulder. A we Tust  shut Down their Power  capitals 4, devils 3 East Rutherford . A Dino Ciccarelli set up the tying goal by Mike Ridley and scored the go ahead goal Early in the third period. Washington trailed 2-1 after new Jersey got second period goals from Rookie Jon Morris and Brendan Shanahan. Ciccarelli who has a playoff High eight goals and 11 Points set up Ridley a tying goal 27 seconds into the third period. Ciccarelli carried the puck around the net and sent a pass to Rod Langway whose shot was stopped by goalie Chris Terreri. Ridley then backhanded the rebound past Terreri. The go ahead goal came on a give and _ it with Kelly Miller. Ciccarelli got the puck at Center ice passed to Miller and broke for the net. Miller swung to the left Side and sent a Waist High pass that Ciccarelli redirected past Terreri with an outstretched stick. Washington leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is sunday night at the capital Centre. Canadians 4, sabres 2 Buffalo . A Stephane Richer scored his fifth and sixth goals of the playoffs and Bobby Smith added a goal and an assist for Montreal. The canadians take their 3-2 series Lead into the forum sunday night. After Smith tied the game 2-2 late in the second period Richer gave Montreal the Lead 1 12 later with his second goal of the night. Russ Courtnell added an empty net goal for the canadians with 1 21 remaining in the game. Rick Vaive gave Buffalo a 2-1 Lead Midway through the second period when he shovelled a rebound into Montreal goalie Patrick Roy who made the save out then batted the puck into the net with his . Bruins 3, whalers 2 Boston a Cam Neely broke a second period tie with a shorthanded goal and the Bruins continued their Power play domination in the series. Related Story on Page 23. Bostons other two goals by Brian Propp and Neely came on Power plays. Boston leads the series 3-2 and is to play at Hartford sunday night. The Bruins playing their third straight game without injured defens Eman Ray Bourque scored two goals and out shot the whalers 3-0 during Bostons five Power plays. Hartford was scoreless on its five Power plays and was out shot 3-2. The Bruins have seven goals in the series on 24 Power plays Hartford two in 26