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Show Sports 3 Comics B4 @ Business B7 ‘Saturday, May ti, 1996 By MICHELLE KAUFMAN Detroit Free Press BROOKLYN, Mich. — Indy? Who misses Indy? Not us. Oh, no. We'vegot the best drivers here at the U.S. 500. Best cars, too. wil and oranges. The real fans wil] ! know which raceto watch May 26 Haven't you seen our commer- cials? “The real cars The real ealzeis stars ., The real race.” Besides, we weretired of spending a monthin Indy. This way, We save money and get to spend more time at home. What? They're pushing 240 miles per hour down there? Big deal. Artificial times. Just messin’ with their boost to prove they're faster than us. We heard they "re up to 50 inches, 60 on those Buicks, We're doingreal time, 233 on 40 inches. We'll take fast andsafe overfast and dangerous Andsoon, d so on, all Fri day afternoon. Thedrivers with the names we know — Andretti, Rahal, Unser — filed into the MichiganInternational Speedway press building to take questions about their first practice laps. But they ended up talking about the civil war between the Indy Racing League and Championship Auto Racing Teams. They defended the slowerthan-Indy speeds recorded Friday at MIS. Adrian Fernandez turned t fastest lap of the drizzly day 233.402 miles per hour — in is 1996 Lola-Honda. His Brazilian teammate, Andre Ribeiro. was second-fastest at 230.103 ina Lola-Honda, and Gil de Ferran wasthird in 229.834 in a Reynard-Honda. Fourth-fastest Jimmy Vasser, winner of three of five racesthis season, also was in a Reynard-Honda. >= Despite the powerful Honda sebgines at MIS, chances are that purs confident they can regain edge By BOB MIMS AP Sports Writer SALT LAKE CITY — The Jazz stole the homecourt advantage with a second-round playoff ‘split in San Antonio, but that doesn’t shake the Spurs’ confidenceas the series moves to Utahthis weekend. After all, David Robinson will tell you, San Antonio won both of its regular season games in the Delta Centerthis year. “I feel pretty good about comy ing in here. | think we can bear down ‘and get one,” the 7-foot-I A 10-9 score hardly looks like a pitcher's duel But that’s exactly what the 562 fans at the BYU baseball diamond witnessed Friday as the Couns rebounded from Thursday's 2 humiliation at the hands of C i Northridge and forced a deciding game three in the WAC Playoffs with a dramatic 10-9 victory over the Matadors. Seniors Scott Haws (BYU) and Robby Crabtree (Northridge) both went the nine-inning distance on the sunny afternoon, and no matter what the score, it was clearly a battle of wills and clutch pitching betweenthe two hurlers. “In this ballpark.” noted Haws. his face suil streaming in sweat longafter he had thrownhis 192nd pitch of the game, “that (10-9) IS a pitcher’ s duel.” “Scott Haws and Robby Crabtree put on a clinic in character, stamina, heart and determination.” said BYU coach Gary Pullins ‘Craburee almost shut us down after the fifth inning. And Scotty would bend but not break.4'm sure neither one of them would say this is the best game they'd ever pitched, but both of them pitched incredibly.” There was nothing more incred. ible. however, than the bottom of the ninth. Protecti lead. Haws fanned ) to openthe inning, then got Adam Kennedy onafly to right. But Jose Mirandasingled, bringing Robert Fick to the plate. Fick was 5-for-7 ORLANDO, Fla. — It didn’t matter that Atlanta found a way to slow down Shaquille O'Neal Orlando still had too much firepowerFriday night and took a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 120-94 victory. O'Neal fought through the Hawks” essive double-teams to score 28 points and Nick Anderson added 22 for the Magic, who led by more than20for most of the second half before Atlanta closed within 15 while Anfernee Hardaway was on the bench with strained hamstrings in both legs. Games 3 and 4 ofthe best-of-7 matchup will be played Sunday and Monday in Atlanta, Hard away’s status for the weekend was not immediately clear. The Magic have lost in six of their last seven games at the Omni. But provided Hardaway is healthy, the defending Eastern Conference draw three times as many fans as the U.S. 500, Indy is on ABC; the inaugural U.S. 500 is on ESPN. Butdrivers expectall that to changeifthe factions remain divided next year. “The real race fans already know what's going on, but the ‘ones whojust go to Indy to have 8 good time are going to be very confused when they get there,” Fernandeysaid. “They're going to say, ‘Where's Al UnserJr.? Where's Bobby Rahal? When they find outall the drivers they ine Uthere, they"re going to be disappointed. “The guys at Indy saythey‘li build newstars, but stars aren't {anim hone dey Or one year. t takes time. I've been around four years, and I'm just getting known. They won't be able to foolthe fans.” Jazz), but they can feel the same way. They didn’t play well and they won. We played really well in the first game and we won,” said Malone, who is averaging 23.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the series, Both Malone and John Stockton, the other half of Utah's All Star duo. bowed out of carrying the Olympic torch Friday in Salt Lake City. Instead, the two practiced and rested for Saturday's game. (See SPURS,Page B2) By DOROTHY KNOELL The Daily Herald Assistant Sports Editor evenplayingfieldis here.” “T's artifi Ss going on downthere,” Ribeiro said he best competition is here, The best uncomfortably close, he added “You can’t hang your hat on that,” Hill said. “It's not easy to win here. and they're on a mission If you don’t respect them and come in here with little fear in your attitude then they're going to win the game. Utah's Karl Malone is counting on the jazz's win in the opener — and the ease with which they erased Spurs’ leads of 18 and 13 points before bowing in Game 2 to trouble San Antonio's psyche “It’s got to feel good (for the were UVSC after winning 10-9 ‘pitcher’s duel’ reaches finals with nine RBIs on Thursday. and 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and another hard-hit ball up to that point Friday. Fick drovethe ball to right, sending Miranda to third But Fick didn’t stopatfirst “L was going to throw hene.” said right fielder Leroy Brownof his intentionsas he chasedthebail “But when | looked up to find my cutoff man, | saw [Fick] going to second so | just threw it as hard as | could. Luckily, [shortstop Eric] McDowell madea great catch and, rivers are here. This is the rage {© win, no matter what the times say. As a driver, youtuke pride in beatir best of the best, and those divers will be tn Michigan.” The Indy 500 probably will lost homecourt advantage and now we have to get one here. Our backs are still against the wall,” he said. “The guys know the situation we're in; we've just got to come and getit.” Game is scheduled for Tuesday in San Antonio. if necessary, the series would continue Thursday in Utah, with a seventh game set for May 18 in the Alamo Dome Spurs coach Bob Hill allows the regular season Delta Center sweep he enjoyed “psychologically gives you some confidence.” But both of those wins — 101-94 and 92-91 — BYU still alive in WAC playoffs Saturday's Indy pole qualifying will be faster than Saturday's U.S. 500 pole winner. The sport's uee drivers don’t care The word aroundthe gara; was that the Indy folks turned a the boost — engine manifold pressure — to 50 inches, which Would allow cars to more easily Teachspeeds of 240 m.p.h. For MIS races, the boost limit is 40 inches, to give drivers better control on the ultra-fast, high-banked oval “TE think it’s irresponsible what they're doing. putting people in a position of danger,” Bobby Rahal said. “If they re trying to prove that they're faster than us, and therefore better, it’s not g work. Everyone knows Whi going on. Thereal fans Know the difference. You don’t just'rig the election to prove a point The Spurs center said of Games 3 and 4, scheduled here Saturday afternoon and Sunday night In regular seasonplay, the Spurs wonthree of fuur games. However, they he the Western Conference semifinal opener in San Antonio 95-75 before knotting the best-of-7 series; with an 88-77 victory on Thursday Robinson — averaging 26.5 points and nine rebounds in the matchupthus far — says the Game \ collapse got the attention of the Midwest Division champions. “It’s very important for us. We BYU catcher Patrick Johnson applies a cautionary tag to Cal-Northridge’s Robert Fick after Fick struck out swinging in the first inning of Friday's WAC uh, spied the knockdown.” McDowell fielded the throw and braced himself as Fick barreled in. There wasa collision with both bodies flying. but McDowell jumped up still aolding the ball and Fick was out to endthe game. Pisvort game. The Cougarsoe the Matadors 10-9 to force a deciding game which begins at noon “It was his decision (to try for second), but it was the right one.” Northridge coach Mike Batesole said ofthe final out. “I cantell you I'd havebeen madif he hadstayed at first and nottried toget the winning run tosecond in thatsituation “Brown made a great throw and McDowell a great pickup. It took a great play. and that’s what it should be.” That made a winner of Haws. TWIN FALLS, Idaho —Seth King tnpled and eventually scored whatprovedto be the winning run, then came ontostrike out the last two Dixie College hitters to preserve a 9-8 win for Utah Valley State College at the Region 18 Baseball Tournament Friday With the win, the Wolverines advanced to the championship game today at 2 p.m. They will take on the winner of the 1] a.m loser-out game between Dixie and Treasure Valley King's triple in the bottomof the sixth drove Greg Brimhall home to give UVSCan 8-4 lead. King then scampered home with what looked like a meaningless tun, as Dixie threw the ball away tryu t Jake Huff ona routine ground-out But King's run endedup being huge. Dixie blasted UVSCretiev er Greg Lindsay for three straight hits. the third of which was Ryan Pene’s two-rundouble. King. who had played third base up tothat point, wascalled on to come to the mound. He walked Keith Dickenson, then gave up an RBI single to Jeff Hedmanas Dixie trimmedthe lead to 9-7. After a sacrifice bunt moved the potential tying runs to second and third, King caught Shane Mortensen looking’ ata breaking ball for strike three. He then balked to bring in a run. But hebiew a fast ball past Steve Rice for a called third strike to end the game. “L just tried to throw hard and throw strikes.” said King. “and | got it past him. The breaking ball | got the first guy with is my most effective pitch when I can throw it for a strike. I've developed a lot more confidencein it.” Dixie jumped out to a 2-0 in the second, but UVSCtied it in the bottomof the frame on Neil Bradshaw’s two-runtriple. The Wolverines plated three runsin the third, with Tyler Perry's home run the (See COUGARS,Page B2) (See UVSC, Page B2) O'Neal scores 28 Sonics’ boom soundsloudly as Magic rip Hawks as Rockets nearly grounded By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer All of Qrlando’s starters werein double figures by halftime, and the Magic led 96-68 before Atlanta's Mookie Blaylock hit two 3-pointers in a 13-0 run that trimmed Orlando's lead to 1S with 7:18 to go. Blaylock led the Hawks with 25 points and Christian Laettner had 20 after being outscored by O'Neal 41-7 in Orlando's 117-105 victory in Game 1. Steve Smith had 18. but Stacey Augmon was held to two after pacing Adanta with 23 in the opener. Hardaway had 15 points and seven assists, while Horace Grant contributed 14 points and 1} rebounds for Orlando. Along with his 22 points, Anderson had six steals and fiveassists try to play an all-around game,” Anderson said. “I know T'mthe third or fourth option on offense, but 1 try to set the tone defensively and make the most of my scoring opportunities.” The Magic shot 70 perceat in champions will/head north with the opening quarter and made 20 confidence they can reverse that oftheir first 27 shots in building a last nine road games during the regular season “We've still: got room for tion of how well things were going who rebounded from a subpar The Hawks went into the game feeling that they had to slow trend after winning ecightsof their 45-23 lead. An evenbetter i for the Magic was their perfect markmanship from the free-throw improvement,” said Dennis Scott, tine (8-for-8) in the first half. five-point performance in Game | to score 17 for the Magic. “It may took easy, but it’s not.” (See MAGIC, Page B2) By STEPHENJ. SIEGEL The Daily Heraid HOUSTON — Thedefending champion Houston Rockets may have finally encountered a team hungrier. deeper, calmer and moretalented than they can handle. Leading two games to none, the Seattle SuperSonics invaded Texas Friday night and shocked @ passionate Houston crowd by repelling the wily Rockets and taking a commanding 3-0lead in their Western Conference semifinal series with a | 15-112 victory No NBA team — not even the Rockets, who have made a career of miraculous comebacks — has ever won a seven-game point. We are going to try and finish the series Sunday. We're a little surprised, but the 3-0 lead is a mark of how wehave been playing.” Houstonbeganits first home game of the series as expected, Tunning on an emotional high and jumping to leads of 11-2 and 26-10. But the Sonics have a new-found maturity this playoff season, and they ran off an 18-8 streak of their own to get right back into the game. The Rockets were ahead at the first break, but red flags already were being raised. Houston shot a stunning 75 percentin the first quarter to Seattle's 41 percent, but its lead was only nine. And series after losing the first three Seattle was dominating the games. rebounding battle, collecting “They seem to have an answer eight offensive boardsin the first and then something for every- 12 minutes. The Sonics climbed thing we do out there,” said to within 66-62 atthe haif. Houston rallied again after Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich. “None of us in our intermission. building an eightlocker room are gonna concede point lead carly in the third quarter, but Seattle didn’t crack. Stay=e. game was close and hard- ing calm, cool and collected, the fought all the way, but Seattle Sonics went on a 28-12 tear to Just appears to hyve too many take an-eight-point lead of their Weapons for the aging Rockeys. own, 90-82, The Rockets dug down and “It’s a good win,”said Sonics’ forward SamPerkins, “It's an struck back with.a 9-0 nun to reaccomplish for our team at this take the lead earlyin the fourth, rag ai but it was not to be. Seattle did what was necessary each time, be it with Detlef Schrempf. Gary Paytonor Perkins. Schrempf and Payton led Seattle with 28, while Perkins contributed a big 17 off the bench. The Sonicspulled ahead. 10197, but MarioElie hit a big 3point basket to bring Houston back within one again, Seattle responded one more time and opened a 108-103 lead with 1:47 to go. Never a team io quit, howev- er, Houston dug into its bag of = tricks one last time, and pulled within 113-112 with 11.7 see- onds left on another Elie three launched from somewhere in Louisiana. Gary Payton hit two big free throws with 10.2 seconds left, however, and Houston's lastditch attempt was off the mark. The Sonics, who exited the two years despite being heavily favored, are finally living their promise. “We just wanted and hope that.” & makes — U.S. 500 the best a £ Civil war ' : ° |