European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It s Victory or misery in 7th game tonight by Bill Barnard Houston a players and coaches try to pretend they done to think about losing when they Are preparing for a big game. In the Aba there is no bigger game than game 7 of the finals a situation that will occur for the 15th time in league history wednesday night. Stay focused. Just play the game. Take advantage of the Opportunity. Have fun. That a what the Houston rockets and new York kicks were saying monday. But sometimes the fear of losing seeped into a conversation the knowledge that for some of them wednesday night will not end the Way they Hope a a there a either winning or there a misery a kicks coach Pat Riley said. A a that Sall there is. One of those two  Hakeem Olajuwon noting that new York won Aba titles in 1970 and 1974mcneilnba finals and that Houston has never won a championship said the rockets deserve one More. A but you done to always get what you deserve a he said almost mournfully. Rockets Forward Robert Horry said he has thought often about what it would feel like to win a championship then admitted that losing has crossed his mind As Well. Quot hopefully there Wilt be tears of Joy and not tears of sorrow a Horry said. A you want to be Happy take the Champagne Bath and Wake up in the morning with a big smile on your  the kicks were one big play away from taking that Champagne Bath after game 6 sunday night when John Starks after scoring 16 of new Yorkus 22 Points in the fourth Quarter took a 3-Point shot in the final seconds of a two Point game. But Olajuwon got his fingertips on the shot making it fall Short and presenting an 86-84 Houston Victory �?o1 take every loss hard a Starks said. A but you shake it off because there s another game wednesday. Now we have 48 More minutes to put up or shut up. You dream about paying pressure games like this. I know i can step up and play big. But in a not worried about it because 1 know i  the kicks will be playing their third seventh game of the playoffs a Only the Riley coached los Angeles lakers played that Many in 1988 a and Starks said the team should Benefit from that. A the experience of playing game 7s helps a lot but the stakes Are much higher now a Starks said. A but it gives us Confidence we can  with neither team having scored 100 Points in the series a an Aba finals first a both realize that defense got them this far and that defense will win the stars and stripes june 22,1994 Page 36 game 7. A we expect to win a Riley said. A we believed defense would give us this  the kicks Are averaging just 87.3 Points in the series the rockets 85.4. A you have to be a defensive team to get this far a Tomjanovich said. A and you have to win on the Road to get Home court advantage. We re glad to have  the rockets Are in the Summit for game 7 because they won one More game than the kicks in the regular season and that Slimmest of margins could be the difference. The Home team has won the last 19 seventh games in the Aba. Graf in rain first Champion to lose in by David Crary Wimbledon England a overcoming High winds and rain delays tuesday Lori Mcneil upset five time Champion and world no. 1 Steffi Graf in the first round of Wimbledon a the first time a reigning titlist exited so quickly. Mcneil Long considered a dangerous grass court player who never fulfilled her potential played cleverly and courageously in difficult conditions on Centre court serving Well despite the gusts and hitting away from grafts forehand to win 7-5, 7-6 7-5. �?o11 does no to Hurt to lose my Crown a it hurts to lose a Graf said. Graf seeking her fourth straight title Here had not lost in the first round of any tournament since the Virginia slims championship in 1992. Her opponent then was Mcneil. That was the 30-year-old americans first and Only Victory in nine career meetings with Graf until tuesday Graf was seemingly More troubled by the wind a especially on her service toss. In the tiebreaker she saved two match Points before Mcneil a charging the net right to the end a put a forehand Volley out of grass reach. Mcneil although Winner of four grass court titles had never done Well in 10 previous Wimbledon. Her Best showing was a quarterfinal loss in 1986 to Liana Mandrikova. She will now be considered one of the contenders in a wide open race for the women a title. Grass ouster also boosts the chances of 37-year-old Martina Navratilova to win a 10th Crown in what she says will be her last Wimbledon. Next time Graf and Mcneil battled to 5-5 in the first set before the first rain interruption. Play resumed after 86 minutes Ana Mcneil won the set 7-5 on a double fault by Graf. The German began to Cope better with the Gusty winds in the second set and was about to serve while leading 3-2 when rain again halted play for 1 hour 40 minutes. The players stayed on serve until the 10th game when Mcneil a with help from a great lob to go up 0-30 a broke Graf to level the set at 5-5 and head toward the tiebreaker. A right now in a very disappointed a Graf said afterwards. A i wanted to do much better Here. I did no to feel very comfortable the whole  a she played better than me. That a very obvious. She served much better and i had some trouble with my serves and i just did no to have a very Good  not since 1985, when she had just turned 16, had Graf lost More than four games in her first round Mutch at Wimbledon. She won the title in 1988 and 1989, and again each of the past three years. Mcneil though Uri seeded holds a no. 22 world ranking and is one of the Best grass court players on the women a tour. She trailed Graf 1-8 in career meetings but won their last encounter at the Vir Gina slim championships in 1992. The two had never before played on grass. In other matches third seeded Conchita Martinez a Surprise semifinalist last year beat Canadas Rene Simpson Aller 6-1, 6-3, and ninth seeded Lindsay Davenport just Back from her High school graduation in California beat Frances Julie Halard 6-1, 6-4. The no. 16 seed Magdelena male Eva of Bulgaria beat american Shaun Stafford 6-7 8-66-2, 6-4. Lori Mcneil slashes a backhand in her upset win Over defending Champion Steffi Graf.0246850 �?T00050