European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday february 11, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 25commentaryaiag/c moments to savor on tape should we have expected any less from magic Johnson he had promised a tape for his unborn child to be popped into the Var in a few years. What he produced was not just a Cameo performance magic cavort with the All stars but a career highlight film a Man at his Peak taking Over the All Star game exactly As everybody had wanted. He said he wanted to prove the Point that a Man who has his the virus that causes aids can still produce can still go to work. But magic a work was always performed with people trying to swat the Ball away from him at full Speed Down a basketball court. He came Back for one More game sunday and he dominated it turned it into his personal game. Twenty nine minutes. Twenty five Points. Nine assists. The most valuable player trophy. And in the last three minutes he popped in three 3-Point shots with his pals on the other team Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas guarding him and egging him into even greater theatrics. When his last bomb dropped through the net there were still 14.5 seconds remaining but that was it. They just stopped the game. The East the West the whole league that has become a family circled around magic and just loved him. Game called on account of hugs. Johnson had wanted to play in this game because he missed his friends and he missed the sport but also because he wanted one More souvenir for the child being carried by his wife Earletha cookie Johnson who has tested negative for the dread virus. A it May be my last game a Johnson said on Friday. A my Var will be working so i can pop it in for my son or daughter to see me playing with All these now he had it the Ball looping downward the usual soft touch and the blend of uniforms All closing in on him. He has lived in Southern California Long enough to know that even a Man stricken with his is not just grim reality but a treatment for a script. A this was like the perfect ending to the Story a Johnson said later. A a in be been trying to write this. Story All week and that was like i was at my typewriter and i said a Here a my he had often dominated games before he was infected by the virus but he did it again sunday after missing three months of the season. It took great skill great poise great courage but then again magic Johnson always did have plenty of All three. There were More hugs and kisses than even this a magic Johnson carries off his memento sunday. Flamboyant athlete would have engendered a year ago but the rest was Vintage Earvin Johnson a the soft push shot the Junior Skyhook the High legged dash up the Middle the Finger Roll Layup All the things that made him one of the most versatile players in basketball history. The stars joked and jostled with their buddy during the warmups and he looked As if he had never retired just before the season opened in november when his illness was diagnosed. Isiah Thomas Johnson a Best Friend in the league gave him a kiss when they met As captains in the pre game ceremony. After the teams had been introduced the entire East team walked Over in a deliberate and somewhat somber ceremony and one by one they embraced Johnson even a few players who had openly voiced reservations about Johnson playing in this game. Magic Johnson was Home. He was Given credit for 16 Points in the first half and he actually scored 14 of them. Otis Thorpe tipped in a rebound but nobody at the scoring table seemed to notice. Johnson had Zero assists at halftime mainly because his teammates made sure their Friend received the Ball whenever possible. They could always Call him a a gunner later. In the second half Johnson concentrated on getting the Ball to his teammates. But then he and his pals turned the a garbage time of a one sided game into a Happy ending at least for this highlights film. They could taunt him into firing the Ball up but Only an exceptional athlete with a feel for the moment could pop in his three Long shots of the game. A if this is it this is the Way i wanted it to be a Johnson said later. A i got Isiah that a one. I got Michael that a two. And the Only one i did no to get was he was referring to Larry Bird the aging Boston celtics Star who has been Johnson a spectacular opponent since they played for the National College championship. Bird had to sit this game out with a Creaky Back but Johnson promised to get him too. A a in la see him on the Blacktop a Johnson said. A a we la go behind his All weekend Johnson verbalized the reality that this was his last All Star game. He still intends to play for the National team for the summer games in Barcelona Spain and on sunday he threw some More trial balloons about coming Back to the lakers a for the playoffs this Spring. However his own doctors conservatively told him to retire last november and he has no Way of knowing How his body would react to the Drain of an intense playoffs. Perhaps it was significant that after taking Over the All Star game on sunday magic Johnson did not float any mention of the playoffs. He had the film he had wanted for his unborn child and he has Learned not to look too far to the future. Magic Johnson is a great athlete but he is also an entertainer and he knew he had left everybody smiling and wishing for More and maybe that is the Best Way to end this kind of film. The new Yorac t1m�ayellow jackets beat Buzzer terms sunday s College basketball by the associated press College Park my. Now that Georgia tech has ended its humbling four game losing Streak in the Atlantic coast conference the yellow jackets can bring a Little momentum into their revenge match with Duke. Maryland on the other hand must learn to Cope with yet another bitter loss. The 24th-ranked yellow jackets closed sundays game against the terrapins with a 14-5 run notching a 67-65 Victory on a Buzzer beating Basket by James Forrest. Georgia tech had been 0-4 in the acc since a 75-71 win Over Virginia on Jan. 14. A a we be been on a Downside and it makes it extra special to win on the Road a said guard Jon Barry. A this win will fire us up for the yellow jackets 16-7 Overall 4-5 in the acc face top ranked Duke at Home wednesday. Earlier this season Duke beat Georgia tech 97-84. A we definitely needed this one a Forrest said. A a we be had a Tough time on the Road so this was a tremendous win for and another bitter setback for the terrapins 9-11, 2-8. Maryland is 2-6 in its last eight games despite holding a second half Lead in four of those losses and forcing an overtime in another. A a it a very disheartening a said Maryland guard Kevin Mclinton. A this is just another one of those games in which we played Well and did no to get a Victory to show for with time running out and the score tied Forrest had his attempt at a game winning shot blocked by Maryland guard Walt Williams. The Ball rolled out of Bounds under the Basket and was awarded to Georgia tech which took a timeout with 0.2 seconds left. Barry then tossed the Ball to Forrest in the Lane and he dropped in the game winning shot Over Williams capping a 22-Point performance. For the first time in eight games Williams failed to break the 30-Point Barrier finishing with 21 on 6-for-18 shooting. He missed by one game the acc record of Len Chappell who had eight successive 30-Point outings with Wake Forest in the 1961-62 season. A Walt Williams is a great basketball e layer. Fortunately he showed his Uman Side today a said Georgia tech coach Bobby Cremins. Williams made Only four of 13 shots in the first half including l-for-7 beyond the 3-Point arc and missed More than two minutes of the second half after picking up his fourth foul with 9 05 to go. A in the first half i was forcing it a Little bit a Williams said. A i did no to want to do that in the second in other games sunday no. 7 Arizona 80, California 68 Chris Mills and Sean Rooks each scored 23 Points As no. 7 Arizona overcame a slow Start to overpower California 80-68 in a Pacific-10 conference game at Berkeley Calif. The win was the seventh straight for the wildcats 17-3, 7-2 since consecutive losses to Urcla and Washington. Leading just 39-37 at the half the wildcats broke it open with a 28-10 run that made it 67-47 As they limited California 8-11, 2-7 to 34.4 percent shooting in the second half. The bears were led by Brian Hendrick who had 20 Points and 14 . 12 Missouri 99, no. 21 Oklahoma 92 Anthony Peeler and Jamal Coleman scored 23 of Missouri a final 30 Points As the tigers 16-3, 4-2 handed the sooner their fifth consecutive big eight Home loss. Melvin Booker led Missouri with 24 Points while Bryan Sallier had 21 for Oklahoma 14-6, 2-5off to its worst big eight Start since 1980-81.no. 16 Michigan 74, notre Dame 85 Jalen Rose scored 20 Points including seven in the final 2 44, As the wolverines held off the Irish in South Bend. Notre Dame 7-11 trailed by 17 before scoring 13 consecutive Points to Trail 54-50 with 6 28 left. But Michigan 14-5 responded with four straight Points on a free throw and a 3-Pointer by Jimmy King. Michigan started five freshman for the first time this year because coach Steve Fisher suspended Michael Talley for missing practice Friday. They responded by scoring All of Michigan a . 17 univ 96, Long Boach so 77 . Rider scored 32 Points Dexter Boney had 19 and Elmore Spencer added 17 to Lead the running rebels to an easy big West conference Victory at Long Beach Calif. Univ 20-2, 12-0 made 66 percent of its Field goal attempts in winning its 17th consecutive game. Bryon Russell scored 21 Points and Bobby Sears had 17 Points for the 49ers 12-8, 6-5
