European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 10, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 25 Aba All Star saturday blindfolded shot wins for Ceballos by Steven wine Orlando Fla. A Cedric Ceballos figured he could win the Aba slam Dunk championship blindfolded. Inspired by magic Johnson that a what he did. Already holding an insurmountable Lead Ceballos applied the coup de Grace on his final attempt saturday night. The second year Reserve Forward with the Phoenix suns stepped off 20 paces from the free throw line donned a Black Blindfold dribbled nearly the entire length of the court and hit a two handed stuff. A to All the kids out there done to try this at Home a Ceballos said. His score from the five judges was 50.0, since is the first perfect total 1988. He insisted afterwards he could not see through the Blindfold and said the idea for inc Dunk came to him while shooting baskets with Johnson before a recent game. A the was covering his eyes and shooting jumpers a Ceballos said. A the asked me what i was going to do for the Competition so i thought about it and that a what i came up  Johnson watching from the sideline cheered Ceballos on. A i went to magic and told him a this is the one. In a going to do it a a Ceballos said. The 6-foot-6 Ceballos had nothing to lose on his final try. The other finalist Charlottes Larry Johnson had the highest total in each of two elimination slam Dunk contest rounds but misfired on his first three dunks in the finals. Even with a Mulligan Johnson posted scores of Only 33.5 and 32.5 a lowest of the night for anyone. �?o1 was surprised to make the finals a the Hornet Rookie said. A when 1 got there i tried to pull out the fancy stuff. I Hadnot practice them at  Johnson had the second Best Dunk of the night a one handed stuff following a 360-degree Pirouette that scored 49.4 Points in the second round. First prize for Ceballos was $20,000. On his first two attempts of the final round without the Blindfold he had scores of 43.3 and 47.2. A this last Dunk was a great Dunk a Johnson said. A but we be got to Check out the  Ceballos said the 20 paces he Steps off translate to 10 Steps running. He spent a lot of time polishing Nis creation. A i got a few bumps and bruises practising one said. Shawn Kemp of Seattle the run Crup to Bostons Dee Brown a year ago was eliminated in the first round along with Doug West of Minnesota and Atlanta Rookie Stacey Augmon. Nick Anderson of the Host Orlando magic and John Starks of the new York kicks were eliminated in the second round. Hodges three Peats a blindfolded Cedrick Caballos of the Phoenix suns prepares to slam Dunk. Orlando Fla. A Craig Hodges was both Good and Lucky. The Chicago bulls Long Range bomber Rode a consistent jumper to his third consecutive 3-Point shootout title saturday night edging Streaky Jim Les of the Sacramento Kings 16-15 in the final round. A it was a great Competition. I think it might have been the Best because nobody ran away with it a said Hodges who made his first four attempts in the last round then hit four of his fast five. Les who elected to shoot after Hodges had his Chance to win the Competition. Les who scored a Competition High 19 Points in the semifinals made eight straight during one stretch of the finals before his accuracy abandoned him on the last rack of five balls. He made Only one of his last seven attempts. A i was concentrating on the rim. I knew it was close but you can to keep score a said Les who led the Aba in 3-Point percentage last season. Hodges joined Larry Bird As a three time Winner in the seven year old Competition. A my main focus was to come Back and defend my title. I just wanted to make cd 3-Point shootout sure i got into the finals to defend it Quot said Hodges who had 16 Points in the first round and 15 in the second. Hodges prepared for the contest taking 25 shots from each of the five Rac positions every Day for two weeks. Bird who won the event three consecutive times from 1986-88, pulled out of the Long distance Competition As Well As the All Star game because of a Back injury. That left Hodges who beat Terry Porter in last year s finals and edged Reggie Miller to win in 1990, As the favorite. Hodges survived the first round with 16 Points equating the total by Les. They were joined in the semifinals by new jerseys Drazen Petrovic and Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings. Hodges earned $20,000 for the Victory while Les settled for $10,000. Richmond received for $5,500 for third place. Petrovic won $2,500, while the other participants a first round losers Jeff Hornacek a Well Curry Craig Ehlo and John Stockton a received $1,000. Gervin paces East squad to 46-38 Victory Orlando Fla. A George Gervin was again a hero at saturday nights Aba legends classic and the villain was an unpopular old timer a the knee injury. Both David Thompson and Norm Nixon left the game in stretchers with injured Knees marring the East a 46-38 Victory Over the West. Gervin paced the East with 24 Points and 11 rebounds. Thompson suffered a ruptured Patella Tendon in his left knee in the first half when his foot slipped and twisted awkwardly As he was driving through the Lane for a Layup. Nixon sustained a ruptured quadriceps Tendon in his right knee when his leg turned As he planted to go up for a jump shot from beyond the free throw line. Neither injury involved Contact. Each player had his knee wrapped before being transported to a Hospital. Nixon said he thought his injury was a Tendon be legends classic cause he heard it snap. A Tendon injury to Nixon a left knee caused him to miss two entire seasons in 1987-88. A i just feel badly for them a East Forward Rick Barry said. A having been through that myself the older you get the More you worry about something like that  a your Bench was a Little bit nervous when . And Norm went Down a East guard Jojo White said. A some of the Guys who have had knee problems were a Little bit wary of going Back  a a ice Gervin 39, was As Cool As Ever. He hit 11 of 15 shots two Points Short of the legends classic record set by Calvin Murphy in 1989. A Gervin can shoot the Ball a whole lot better than a lot of Guys making a whole lot of Money in the Aba right now a Barry said. A i think he can play and come Oft the Bench and give a team some offence. Hell be the first to agree that he a not the Guy to come in if you have to Stop a team on  Gervin scored three Quick baskets at the Start of the second half to help the East take a 29-22 Lead and his team led the rest of the Way. A the competitive fires Burn whenever i step on the court a he said. A i love putting the Ball  Murphy led the West with 10 Points. Some of the players Laboured to get up and Down the court particularly 42-year-old Spencer Haywood who appeared to be at least 75 pounds Over his playing weight of 225. A they had the bigger team a East coach Tommy Heinsons said. A we had the quicker team a notwithstanding that Spencer Haywood was with