European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 3, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes ports. It i a a Suju it in a. June 3,1994 her time trash talker has last word in putting Indiana up 3-2 by Dill Barnard a basketball writer new York a one coach called it another coach called it to i a it a Apfell a a unconscious Reggie Miller. A everything was in slow motion everyone was looking for a Way to describe Reggie Millers game wednesday night one of the great shooting displays in Aba playoff history that left the inti Ana pacers one Victory away from the Aba finals. Miller scored 25 of his 39 Points in the fourth Quarter rallying the pacers to a 9386 win Over the new York kicks and a 3-2 Lead in the Eastern conference finals. A everything Felt like it was in slow motion Quot said Miller who personally out scored the kicks 25-16 in the final period. A you see plays before they happen read defences and know what your defender is going to do before he does he made five consecutive 3-pointers and eight of 10 shots in the final period helping Indiana recover from a 16-Point deficit in the first half and 12-Point deficit in the fourth period with a whirlwind of shoemaking. The Victory was All the sweeter for Miller because it came in new York where the kicks were 8-0 in the playoffs going into the game. Indiana lost its previous 11 games at Madison Square Garden and 31 of 33. A to me this is the greatest place to play basketball a Miller said a what better Way to go against the Best team where you be got to play your Miller who punctuated the Victory by slamming the Ball to the court at the final Buzzer set a playoff record for any period with his five 3-pointers, one More Thanna notes heat sticking with Loughery Miami a Miami heat coach Kevin Loughery signed a two year contract with an option for a third the Miami Herald reported thursday. Team officials would not comment on the contract reportedly a Multi year Deal Worth More than $500,000 per sees doctors Phoenix a Charles Barkley remains undecided about his future after meeting with top Back specialists including the doctor who used a microscopic surgical procedure on Dallas quarterback Troy enriching Johnson Phoenix a Phoenix suns guard Kevin Johnson is expected to receive a contract Extension making him the highest paid player in franchise history according to a thursday report in the Arizona Republic. The Mark of four established twice most recently Houston a Vernon Maxwell on tuesday night. A a in be probably had better shooting nights a he said. A but on the Road in the Garden fifth game of the Eastern conference finals puts it right up Miller one of the leagues notorious trash talkers kept up a running commen tary during the fourth Quarter with movie director Spike Lee who has a court Side seat. As Nis big shots mounted Miller stared at Lee yelled at him and at one Point put his hands to his Throat in a choke sign. A me and Spike have been friends for five or six years Quot Miller said. A it was just Friendly chit Chat. But it brings out the Best in me. He a the a Nicks biggest fan but sometimes he gets me pacer coach Larry Brown said Miller delivered one the finest performances he has seen in the league. A to step up in the fourth Quarter like he did against a team like the kicks is just mind boggling a he said. The pacers who won three Aba titles in the 1970s but never before advanced ast the first round of the Aba playoffs before this year need to win at Indianapolis on Friday night 3 . Get saturday on an to and radio to capture the Best-of-7 series. The kicks go to Indianapolis As a Road weary team having lost six of seven away from Home during the playoffs this year. A Victory by the kicks there would Force a seventh game in new York on sunday with the series Winner facing the rockets in the Aba finals. A a we la find out what kind of team we have what we re All about Quot coach Pat Riley said. A Reggie was just unconscious in the fourth Quarter. We just have to Deal with it and go on from Patrick Ewing scored 29 Points and Charles Smith and John Starks 16 each for the kicks making their second straight trip to the conference finals in an Effort to win their third Aba titles. E s to earn shot at Sanchez Paris apr Steffi grass string of 20 straight finals came to a stunning end thursday when Mary Pierce powered her Way to a 6-2,6-2 Victory in the semifinals of the French open. In pulling off the biggest Victory of her sometimes troubled career the 19-Yearold French american advanced to a title match against Arantha Sanchez vicar to a 6-3,6-1 Winner Over Conchita Martinez in the first grand slam semifinal Between two Spanish women. Graf the women Stop ranked player was trying for her fifth Pierce consecutive grand slam title and had won 33 consecutive grand slam matches. A a in a very very Happy and a Little shocked at the Way 1 won so easily Quot said Pierce seconds after walking away from a delirious Center court ovation. �?o1 played Well a she said. A i Wasny to tense even at match Point. Graf suffering one of the worst defeats of her Brilliant career said even Monica Seles did no to hit As hard As Pierce. A she played very very Well. She attacked the Ball she took it Early a Graf said. A there was very Little i could do. In a not very the Graf Pierce showdown figured to be a close match based on pierces March through the Field. She French open reached the final after losing just 10 games in six matches a modern Era French open record. In the first set Pierce used her blistering forehand and service returns to break grass serve three times in a Row racing to a 5-1 Lead before the 24-year-od German finally held. Some of pierces forehand were so powerful that the Center court crowd gasped in Awe. Graf unleashed a pair of aces to win the first game of the second set but two games later a Graf double fault then a ferocious smash from mid court gave Pierce a crucial break for a 2-1 Lead. Though born in Canada and raised in Florida Pierce has a French Mother and plays for France. She is the first French woman to reach the finals since Francoise Durr won the title in 1967. Year again Paris her life was in torment As she lost in the quarterfinals to Jennifer Capriati while her temperamental father coach Jim was so disruptive that Tennis officials banned him from tour events. Pierce separated from her father later last year and has been playing More confidently with coaching help from american coach Nick Bollettieri. Graf who was seeking her fourth French open Crown had reached 20 consecutive finals on the worn ends tour. The loss ends her Challenge of the record of 23 set in 1983-84 by Martina Navratilova the last time Graf lost before the finals of a grand slam event was in 1992, to Sanchez Vicario in the . Open quarterfinals. Arantha Sanchez Vicario pounds a return thursday. A
