European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Auburn Hills Mich. A Viri Nie Johnson is at it again. Its Aba playoff time and Johnson is hot. The problem is that the rest of the Detroit pistons Are not. The pistons Trail Chicago 2-0 in the Eastern conference finals. Unless they bulls pistons on an Central european time game 3 a 9 . Saturday to. Game 4 a 9 30 . Monday to radio. Regain their touch in games saturday and monday at the Palace the bulls will end Detroit a dream of a third straight title. Johnson called a the microwave a heated up quickly against the bulls. He averaged Only 11.7 Points per game during the regular season and through the pistons first 11 playoff games he averaged Only 13.1 Points. F in two games against the bulls Johnson is averaging 25 Points. A i had it going and i was either making my shots or going to the foul line a Johnson said. A but you know we  Stop them on the other end. You got to make  a. 1 _. U have thrashed the pistons by scores of 9483 and 105-97. Johnson will need help. Mark Aguirre is averaging 20,5 Points against the bulls and Joe Dumars is averaging 16.5 Points. After that it drops All the Way to Isiah Thomas and his 10.5 Points. No other Detroit player is averaging double figures against the bulls. The bulls defense is playing this year the Way the pistons defense played in the past. Chicago a average playoff yield is 90.9 Points in 10 games. That a 1.9 off Quot some Stoi indeed. The Young and hungry bulls Points off the playoff record set by Phoenix in 1981. Quot defense is the nature of both teams and in a sure both teams want to maintain their consistency a Chicago a Michael Jordan said. Jordan is averaging 31.1 Points through Chicago a 10 playoff games but Only 28.5 Points in the two games against Detroit. That a because the bulls Bench like Detroit a microwave has heated up. The Chicago Bench of Cliff Livingston will Perdue by. Armstrong and Craig Hodges has been Able to play for Long stretches for bulls coach Phil Jackson and actually increase the Lead. Plus forwards Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant can be counted on for double figure scoring. Horace Grant slamming Over Isiah Thomas Isnit the Only one giving Detroit a fact jobs the stars and stripes ports May 25,1991 b Page 32 Mcrae running royals Chicago. A Hal Mcrae whose aggressive style personified Kansas. City baseball during its glory years was named royals manager Friday. He succeeds John Wathan who was fired wednesday with the royals last in the american league West. Mcrae said he is eager but nervous about his new Posi Tion. He had Ocen the Montreal expos hitting coach. A a in a Uncertain about a lot of things a Mcrae said at a hews conference in his hotel room. A but i think As i Start doing it it will get  Hal Mcrae Mcrae becomes the fifth Black manager in major league history joining Larry Doby Maury wills Cito Gaston and Frank Robinson who was fired As Baltimore a manager thursday. Mcrae steam includes his son Brian Mcrae 23, who has shown Promise this year As a first year Center fielder. He said Brian  have any problems being coached by his dad. A you just try to treat him like everybody else Quot Mcrae said. A a he a mature enough to handle  Mcrae said he plans to be a a a players manager and that he expected a smooth transition. A a in a going to try to be a manager that puts the players first a Mcrae said adding he wants to a create an environment that will make it As easy As possible for / them to do what they want to  Mcrae a salary is believed to be in the $175,000 Range for this year and about $225,000 for 1992. A Pittsburgh a Mark Recchi is Back. Paul Coffey is Back. Mario Lemieux definitely is Back. And the Minnesota North stars Are Hack to where they were when the playoffs started a in the role of undisputed Lon shots to win the Stanley cup. The Pittsburgh penguins moved within one win of the first nil title in their 24-year history. Taking a 4-0 first period Lead thursday night on two goals by Recchi and one each by Lemieux and Kevin Stevens and holding on for a 6-4 Victory in game 5 of the finals. Quot Ron Francis scored in the second period before Minnesota Cut the deficit to 54 by taking advantage of the absence of Tom Barrasso. The league s top playoff goalie Barrasso left after the first period nil finals with a slightly pulled Groin and was replaced by Frank Piftrangelo. The North stars 27-39-14 during the regular season Are trying to become the third losing team in major professional sports history a and the first in 42 years a a to win a championship. To do so they need a two game winning Streak beginning saturday in game 6 at the met Center where they lost tuesday to snap an 8-0 Home playoff run. Minnesota the leagues 16th-ranked regular season club used Early offence to beat no. 1 Chicago no. 2 St. Louis and defending Champion Edmonton in the first three rounds. Counting the first game of the finals the North stars had outscored opponents 3-16 in the opening periods of their first 18 playoff games. _ in the last four games however the penguins have a 9-2 first period Edge on thursday Pittsburgh victimized Minne Sota goalie Jon Casey As Well As sex pen Gums Defyn semen Chris Dahlquist and Jim Johnson. Casey allowed four goals on 13 shots and was pulled after Recchio a second goal 13 41 into the contest the fifth time he has been  the playoffs but the first time in eight games. The no la a fourth leading scorer with 113 regular season Points and the league s no. 2 playoff scorer Recchi entered the game with no goals one assist and  in the finals. Inside sports Mickey Rourke 1-0 in boxing a Page 24 indy 500 rolling fast pages 26,27 Olaf a Winner in Europe a Page 29 rangers keep streaking a Page 30 kicks waiting on Riley a Page 31