European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T0rqnto up the Toronto Maple Leafs finally put an end saturday to the heroic run of the san Jose Sharks and set up an Cross Canada Duel for the no la a Western conference title. Wendel Clark had two goals and an assist to boost the Maple Leafs to a 4-2 win Oyer san Jose a team that surprised the hockey world by winning its first playoff series and almost winning another a we will be Back next year a said san Jose coach Kevin Constantine a i am very proud of my team and my players. We thought we could win the Stanley cup. And i think we proved it Wasny to the impossible  Toronto will meet Vancouver in the conference finals beginning tonight on the Maple Leafs Home ice. A. A nil playoffs. Felix Potvin made 30 saves for Toronto including a series of spectacular stops Early in the game that kept the Sharks from gaining momentum. The Sharks entered the league just three years ago arid won Only 11 games in 1992-93, but qualified for the playoffs in constantines first year As coach. They stunned Detroit in seven games in the first round and had a 3-2 Edge Over the Maple Leafs before losing the last two games of the semifinal series. Clark scored in the first and second periods saturday and finished with seven goals and four assists in the series he put the Maple Leafs ahead to stay at 9 58 of the first period when he grabbed the puck in the Neutral zone skated Down the right Side and fired a wrist shot from the face off Circle Over the left shoulder of goaltender arturs irbe. Clark scored again at 9 30 of the second period putting a wrister through in Bce a legs from the top of the crease. Mark Osborne surprised irbe with a snapshot from just inside the Sharks Blue line at 3 19 of the third period. The puck dipped suddenly under Irbens catching Glove to put the Maple Leafs ahead 3-0. Igor Larionov scored for san Jose just Over two minutes later finishing off a give and go with Sandis Ozolinsh. Doug Gilmour closed the Toronto scoring with 7 10 remaining extending his scoring Streak to seven games. The stars and stripes ports May 16,1994 Page 32smifs, pc cers Bruise Hawks it a by Piank Lowenkron Indianapolis a with Rik Smits hitting from inside and Reggie Miller from outside the Indiana pacers needed less than 34 minutes saturday to prove they Are a gang that can shoot straight. That show much time it took the pacers to score their first 69 Points a equalling their total in setting a playoff record for futility in game 2 a and they went on to a 101-81 Victory Over Atlanta. Indiana leads the Best of seven Eastern conference semifinal series 2-1. A we did a better Job of getting him the Ball a Indiana coach Larry Brown said of Smits who scored 18 of his 27 Points in the first half when Indiana took command a we wanted to get the Low Post scoring a said Miller who had 13 of his 16 Points in the first half a we did no to have that in game 2. All we were taking were jump  game 4 was scheduled for sunday at Market Square Arena and game 5 will be tuesday night at Atlanta. 1 a Smits does no to play physical but he just takes up a lot of space a Atlanta a Kevin Willis said. A once you Are hot like he was today you go right at  the Hawks who Are top seeded in the Eastern conference overcame a 2-1 Defi Cit to beat Miami in their Best of five opening round series. The pacers consistently sent the Ball inside to Smits who had scored Only 22 Points in the first two games of the series and the 7-foot-4 Center made the move pay off by making 12 of 21 shots. A we tried to come out aggressively Early a Smits said. A i worked on my jump shots because in the other games they weren to falling. It worked out Well  who led Indiana in scoring for a fifth consecutive season with a 19.9 average and Smits helped the pacers build a 53-42 halftime Lead. It was the first time in six playoff games this season that Indiana was ahead at the half. The pacers outscored Atlanta 16-4 in the first five minutes with Smits contributing six Points. Willis who had 12 Points in the opening Quarter led the Hawks with 14 Points. Danny Manning and Stacey aug Mon had 13 apiece As Atlanta hit Only 41.3 percent. Indiana used a 9-2 spurt in the second Quarter to take a 42-31 Lead and Atlanta never came closer than nine Points afterwards. Atlanta shot Only 31 percent in the second Quarter 5 of 16 and was out rebounded 20-8. Pacers Vern Fleming struggles with Hawks Andrew Lang left and Stacey Augmon. To series by John Mossman Denver apr the pick and Roll is one of basketball a most elementary plays and the Utah jazz took Denver to school with it. A Jeff Hornack and John Stockton hit crucial overtime baskets off that play As the jazz outlasted the Denver nuggets 111-109 saturday to take a 3-0 Lead in their Western conference semifinal series. Hornack and Stockton finished with 27 and 24 Points respectively. Game 4 in the bust of seven series was set for sunday night in Denver. A fifth game if necessary would be played tuesday night in Salt Lake City. Karl Malone added 26 Points and 13 rebounds for Utah which extended its playoff winning Streak to a club record six games. Utah has beaten Denver in seven of eight meetings this season including four wins in the regular season. A fall of a sudden our guards took Over for us a Malone said. A i Tell you what when Hornack and Stockton catch fire wre re awfully Tough to beat. I just try to aftermath of a Brawl a see Page 30 do the Little things like set picks and those Guys hit some huge  Stockton said the pick and Roll a in which a Forward or Center sets a screen near the key to free a guard to Roll to an open area if the defense does no to switch assignments a a obviously is a Tough play to guard. Fortunately the shots fell for us on those  Laphonso Ellis who fouled out in overtime led a late Nugget surge and finished with 25 Points. Dike be Mutombo had 20 Points 13 rebounds and six blocked shots. After regulation ended in at 988, the teams exchanged baskets until Hornacek hit a 3-Pointer with 1 35 left for a 105-102 Lead that the jazz did not relinquish. After Ellis made a jumper Stockton hit an 18-footer with 1 02 left. Mahmoud Abdul Rauf Cut the deficit to 107-106, but Stockton countered again with another 18-footer with 30.2 seconds remaining. Both of Stockton a baskets came on wide open shots on the pick and Roll. Abdul Raulfs Basket with 25.9 left made it 109-108, but the nuggets were forced to foul and Stockton calmly Sank two free throws with 9.2 seconds left. Denver a Rodney Rogers then made the first of two free throws and intentionally missed the second hoping for a Denver rebound but Utah gained Possession and passed the Ball around until the Buzzer sounded. Utah scored the first nine Points of the third Quarter and outscored Denver 23-8 in the first seven minutes of the period to take its biggest Lead 68-52. Malone had seven Points and Stockton six in that spurt during which the jazz hit 11 of 12 shots. But Denver chipped away at the deficit and trailed 78-71 entering the fourth Quarter. Midway through the fourth Hornacek fuelled a 9-2 run that opened up a 94-86. Denver however responded with a 10-0 run including eight Points by Ellis to take its first Lead since the second period. Malone a 22-footer with 9.2 seconds left tied the game and Denver missed two shots at the end of regulation that would have won it