European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                1 by the associated press Phoenix and Houston win Only on the Road Chicago and new York win Only at Home. The Indiana pacers win anywhere. The pacers who never before had advanced past the first round of the Bart 1 n 1 Jet f it a a i i rrti4 a i a 1 4 i m pm. Ait Joti a a. A. C Aba playoffs Victory playoffs moved within reaching the conference finals by beating Atlanta 102-86 on sunday for a 3-1 Lead Over the East Stop seed. Chicago and Houston Are tied in their Best-of-7 semifinal series at 2-2, the bulls by beating new York 95-83 at Chicago stadium and the rockets by winning 107-96 at Miller Phoenix. The Toad team has won All four games in the rockets suns series while the kicks and bulls have won All their games at Home. Later sunday Denver avoided a sweep against Utah with an 83-82 Victory on Reggie Williams 22-footer with 1.9 seconds left. The jazz however still Lead the series 3-1. V the pacers have six victories in seven postseason games this year. In their Aba history since 1976, the pacers previously won Only four playoff  consecutive blocked shots by Antonio Davis and consecutive 3-Point ers by Derrick Mckey and Reggie Miller enabled the pacers to pull away from Atlanta in the final period when they out scored the Hawks 24-14. The pacers set a team playoff record by making 11 3-Point shots including four by Miller who led Indiana with 25 Points. Atlanta lost despite a career playoff High 35 Points by Danny Manning. The Hawks were Hurt by a knee injury to Kevin Willis who returned to the game but scored just two Points on 0-for-5 shooting in 23 minutes. The fifth seeded pacers who Hadnot reached the second round until they swept Orlando can end the series by defeating the Eastern conference regular season champions tuesday at Atlanta. A a you be got to remember Atlanta was the Best team in the East. They won 57 games this season so they re going to come out with All guns blazing Miller said. Bulls 95, kicks 83 Scottie Pippen who refused to reenter Friday nights game when the final play was not called for Himy scored 25 Points und sparked a third Quarter surge for Chicago. And to Phil Jackson. I done to think i have to apologize to anyone else a game 5 of the Best-of-7 series will be played wednesday night at new Yorkus Madison Square Garden. New York lost its eighth straight playoff game at Chicago stadium the venerable 65-Ycar-old facility that is shutting Down after this season. Horace Grant added 18 Points for the bulls. Patrick Ewing led the kicks with 18.  a a the a Nicks Tough and physical style of defense was restricted by a tightly called game sunday that followed last Friday nights Melee Between the teams. New York played without. Starting guard Derek Harper who was suspended for two games for his part in Friday nights fight without its top bal handler new York played sloppily in the first half with 15 turnovers leading to 17 Chicago Points As the bulls took a 53-41 Lead. New York finished with 24 turnovers. Rockets 107, suns 96 Hakeem Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe dominated inside and Kenny Smith and Mario Elie scored from outside As Houston won its second straight in the America West Arena. The rockets have outscored the suns for seven straight quarters starting with the last three of a 118-102 Victory Friday night. In game 4, Houston was ahead 2520 after one Quarter 52-46 after two and 73-66 after three. Olajuwon had 28 Points and 12 re the stars and stripes ports May 17,1994 Page 32 Bounds Smith scored 21 Points and Elie 11 of his 14 in the fourth Quarter. Kevin Johnson had his second straight 38-Point, 12-assist game for the suns but Charles Barkley who had 19 Points and 14 rebounds was the Only other Phoenix player in double figures. \ nuggets 83, jazz 82 Denver avoided a four game sweep for the first time in its playoff history and prevented Utah from recording its first sweep Ever. Williams scored 21 Points for the nuggets who also got a Strong fourth Quarter Effort from Laphonso Ellis. He scored 10 of his 17 Points in the period. Williams had a pair of 3-pointers in the final Quarter the last with 2 47 left to give Denver a 78-75 Lead. The nuggets led 81-78 before John Stockton hit a 15-footer and Karl Malone who endured a 6-for-20 shooting night made a 19-footer for an 82-81 Utah Lead with 17 seconds  Riser or. On to Indianapolis a Well Al Unser or. Sure put that reputation to  As a better race Driver than qualifier Unser waited out a Challenge sunday by teammate Emerson Fittipaldi and kept the pole position for the May 29 Indianapolis 500, a. A i want to be known As a great race car Driver. That a it. That Sall i want to be known As a said Unser who had never before qualified closer to the front than the second Row at  i want to know that i can get in the show and the see list of qualifiers on Page 28 i want to Lead the last Lap. In a not into leading the first few laps because that ainu to what a going to get Borg Warner trophy at your  already has one indy trophy from winning the 1992 race when he started from the fourth Row. On saturday he was the fastest qualifier at 228.011 Mph in a new Mercedes powered Penske but two Long interruptions for rain left several Drivers including defending Champion Fittipaldi arid Mario Andretti with a Chance to oust Unser from the pole on sunday. None of them could do  whose first indy Victory was in 1989 when he bumped wheels with Unser and sent him into the Wall on the next to last Lap averaged 227.303 Mph for four laps on sunday. That was Good for a spot on the outside of the front Row next to fellow brazilian Raul Boesel who had qualified saturday. Andretti who plans to retire at the end of this season qualified at a disappointing 223.503 Mph on the outside of the third Row. Other qualifiers included Paul Tracy a teammate of Unser and Fittipaldi who suffered a concussion in a crash on Friday and was cleared to drive sunday morning. Tracy averaged 222.710 Mph but As a second Day qualifier was positioned on the 10th Row. The nine who qualified on sunday also included Robby Gordon Jimmy Vasser Teo Fabi of Italy Rookie Adrian Fernandez of Mexico Stefan Johansson of Sweden and Scott Brayton. Nil playoffs words from a Champ Indianapolis 500 Driver Lyn St. James chats with three time indy Winner Bobby Unser who is the Uncle of this years pole Sitter Al Unser or. 228.1 u Mph qualifying times. James 224.154 Mph will Start in the 2nd Row in 6th position when the race is held sunday May 29. New York apr Stephane Richer scored with 4 37 left in the second overtime sunday night and the new Jersey devils beat the new York rangers 4-3 in the opener of the nil Eastern conference finals. Richer broke Down the left Side after taking a Lead pass from Bobby Carpenter beat a Ranger defens Eman and flipped a shot past Mike Rich a Ter on the Short Side. Richerts dramatic goal ended two furious overtime periods that saw both teams miss numerous scoring opportunities. With four minutes gone in the second overtime Valeri Zel Pukin missed an open net with Richter out of  Best-of-7 series resumes with game 2 at Madison Square Garden on tuesday night. The rangers no. 1 in the nil this season had won All six previous meetings with the no. 2 devils this season before sunday nights loss. The devils Victory was their fifth straight in the playoffs. The rangers had won eight of nine before sunday night. The devils out shot the rangers 11-9 in the first overtime and both goaltenders came up with big saves. New Yorkus Richter made a kick save on John Maclean from the Slot with 11 40 left and turned away a shot by Zel Pukin from the Slot with seven minutes remaining. New jerseys Martin Brodeur made a kick save on Greg Gilbert from outside the crease with 8 25 left. Sergei Zubov Sergei nem chinos and Steve Larmer scored for new York. Maclean Bill Guerin and Claude Lemieux scored new jerseys other goals. Zubov scored from the right Point at 3 39 of the first period to give the rangers a 1-0 Lead. The devils tied it on Maclean a wraparound shot at 18 16. 246850000504"