European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 38 the stars and stripes sports tuesday february 1,1994 Aba Harper pulls kicks past Trail blazers by the associated press thirteen games after he arrived in new York Derek Harper is starting to feel and play like a Knick. Harper had his biggest scoring night since he left Dallas sunday As the kicks completed a three game Road sweep through the Pacific division with a 103-93 Victory Over the  blazers. Harper admits he s been pressing a Little too hard trying to fit in with the Eastern division leaders. It s like starting Over he said but i feel pretty confident that everything is going to be  Harper s 22-Point performance at Portland will go a Long Way to bolster that Confidence. New York coach Pat Riley said he s still learning How to use Harper. I have to think about some things for him because he does have certain skills being Able to penetrate and he uses the pick and Roll a lot different than our other guards Riley said. The blazers who had won seven of their previous eight games shot just 39 percent against the rugged Nicks defense. Patrick Ewing had 24 Points and 10 rebounds for new York despite sitting out part of the contest in foul trouble. He and Harper each scored eight in the final  the kicks who were playing their second game in As Many nights after winning at Seattle 106-92 sat urday also got 16 Points and a season High 12 assists from John Starks. Charles Smith added 15 Points As new York improved its record against Pacific division to 10-0-.,. Buck Williams had 20 Points and a season High 19 rebounds for the blazers. Rod Strickland scored 18, Mark Bryant 17 and Clifford Robinson 16 for Portland. The blazers Clyde Drexler was 1-for-ll from the Field and scored just 2 Points before being ejected after bumping referee Danny Crawford while complaining about a Call with three seconds left in the third period. Portland was trailing 77-72 when Drexler drove through a crowd of new York defenders and scored. The kicks Charles Smith was called for a foul but Crawford ruled that the foul came before the shot. A livid Drexler charged Crawford bumped him slightly and pressed his nose against the referee s fore head. Portland used a 12-2 run to take its Only Lead of the second half 64-62, on Strickland s Layup with 5v2 min utes left in the third period. But new York scored the next 10 Points to take control 72-64 on Smith s 10-foot or with 216 minutes remaining. In sunday s Only other Aba game celtics 106, suns 94 at Boston Kevin Mchale s number was retired and his longtime teammate showed Why he has t Hung Aphis uniform yet. Robert Parish had 14 Points and 17 rebounds As bos ton won its seventh straight game. The celtics broke it open after the halftime ceremony in which Mchale s no. 32 was raised o the rafters on a Banner. They turned a 55-45 intermission Lead into an 80-58 advantage with 2 26 left in the third Quarter. Dino Radja had 21 Points and Dee Brown 15 for Boston enjoying its longest winning Streak of the sea  Mchale accepts plaque from Larry Bird As Dennis Johnson watches during uniform retirement ceremony. Rachale in celtic heaven by Howard Ulman Boston a Kevin Mchale had one last move for his fans an almost shy wave from a gregarious Man. Mchale whose variety of offensive contortions on the same Boston Garden floor confounded opponents raised his Long right Arm to the crowd As it showered him with a three minute standing ovation. It s been heaven Kevin one sign in the stands said. Goodbye 32," said another. Sunday s 18-minute halftime ceremony at which Mchale s celtics uniform number 32 was retired was Low key compared to the two hour spectacle at which Larry Bird s 33 was raised to the rafters last feb. But Mchale spent 12 of his 13 seasons in Bird s Shadow and hardly seemed to mind. On sunday he took the spotlight while Bird sat in one of 13 chairs placed on the court for celtics person Nel. " thank you for being one of the great Low Post play ers in the game and joining what a his name Bird on one of the great front lines in the history of our wonderful game Aba commissioner David Stern said. Mchale a College Star at Minnesota who returned there upon retiring after last season paid tribute to his fans and family. I can t thank you enough for making me feel like a bostonian for 13 years he said. I played Hurt a lot but i came out Here i looked in the . Today and it was All Worth  despite foot and ankle injuries that haunted his final seasons Mchale finished As the fourth leading scorer and sixth top rebounded in celtic history. He made the Aba All defensive first or second team six times and was a key part of three championship teams. We played the game i thought the Way it should have been played Mchale said of those squads. Those were absolutely the Best Days of my  he Bird a told Robert Parish made up the big three one of the Best frontline in Aba history. The 40-year-old Parish the Aba s oldest player continues to thrive. He had 17 rebounds and 14 Points in sunday s 106-94 win Over Phoenix. Parish presented Mchale with a framed celtic Jersey with the number 32 signed by Parish and Bird. We had a lot of fun together kicked a lot of butt Parish said. Bird gave Mchale a Small replica of the Banner with the numbers 33,3 and 32 on it representing the retired numbers of Bird Dennis Johnson and Mchale. Now that you have joined us High above court Side Bird said i say congratulations to you and your family and what a ride it  Mchale is one of 19 celtics honoured on three ban ners Hung from the rafters. He personifies everything we a dreamed about of being a celtic player said a so president red Auer Bach who engineered a Trade that made the big three possible. He sent the top pick in the 1980 draft to Golden state for Parish arid the third Choice. The warriors drafted Joe Barry Carroll Boston got Mchale. The 18 retired numbers include a "1" for former owner Walter Brown and "2" for Auerbach. It Means so much to me to go up there with Thos people not Only As players but As the human beings they Are Mchale said. Addressing the fans Mchale said i had 13 of the Best years of my life standing in this building and play ing in front of All you people. I d like to say a special thanks to my dad who gave me so much. He s not Here right now but i know he s watching Mchale said. I love you and i la see you when i get  Paul Mchale remained Home in Minnesota with serious illness. Schoenfeld makes Caps exciting team. T  -h0.by the associated press with Jim Schoenfeld As their new coach the Washington capitals Are hop ing to write a new chapter one with a More winning plot. The capitals whose season had been a sad Story under coach Terry Murray won their second in a Row sunday beating the Detroit red wings 6-3. Washington stopped Detroit s nine game Road unbeaten Streak. The capitals 22-24-4 Are 2-1 since Murray was fired and have won consecutive games for just the third time since nov. 11. Not b and for a team that looked like it might miss the playoffs for the first time since 1982. For us it s an excitement thing de Senseman Sylvain Cote said. Getting a new coach is like a writer getting a new pen you can t wait to use  Washington scored three straight goals for a 4-1 Lead in the second period. Pat Peake got the go ahead goal and Kelly Miller and Dale Hunter increased the Edge. We worked real hard and the work paid off Schoenfeld said. Ray Sheppard scored twice and had an assist for the red wings. In Oiher nil games sunday canadians 5, flyers 4 Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy won for the first time in 13 regular season games against Philadelphia when Guy Carbonneau scored 2 29 into overtime. Roy a three time Winner of the Vezina trophy As the league s Best goaltender is 1-6-6 lifetime against the flyers in the regular season. Roy stopped 30 shots two of them in overtime. Kevin Dineen scored twice for the vis iting flyers who rallied from a 3-0 Defi Cit. Carbonneau s Winner came after he took a pass from Mike Keane. Panthers 3, sabres 2 Florida stretched its unbeaten Streak to nine games 5-0-4extending its own record for a first year nil team. The previous Mark was seven by los Angeles and St. Louis during the 1967-68 season. Jesse Belanger scored two goals and John Vanbiesbrouc made 37 saves forthe visiting panthers. Belanger put Flor Ida ahead 2-1 in the second period an scored again in the third. Jason Dawe scored his first nil goal and Donald Audette also scored for Buffalo