Page 16 University Daily Kansan, April 30, 1981
Malone, as usual, leads Rockets to end playoffs, season for Kings
By PAULD. BOWKER
Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—For most of the NBA playoffs, Houston center Moses Malone has been the center of attention and the Rockets' main source of offence.
Last night at Kemper Arena, Malone again加
all scorers with 36 points, but it was the Rockets'
defense that turned back the Kings, 97-88,
and advanced the Rockets to the NBA championship
series against either the Boston Celtics or the
Philadelphia 76ers.
THE KINGS, who entered last night's game trailing the Rockets three games to one, led for most of the game, but the Rockets spurred ahead in fourth quarter when the Kings scored only 10 points.
Kansas City forward Scott Wedman, who led the Kings with 20 points, scored four points in the fourth quarter while Malone and Rockets' guard Tom Henderson combined for 15 points.
After a basket by Wedman gave the Kings a 80-79 lead with 8:26 remaining in the game, the Rockets outscored the Kings 14-6 over the next eight minutes to take command. The Kings, who won the first quarter, were in for the third quarter, did not score a point in almost four minutes after Wedman's basket.
The Kings had advanced in the playoffs further than the Kansas City franchise ever had before, but they did not score more than 89 points in any of the series' five games against the Rockets.
"We think that we got here because of our defense," Houston Coach Del Harris said. We did in the past 13 games, where we've lost the opponents, on an average under 100 points.
"Both of these are teams America can love."
—Houston Coach Del Harris
"WE FEEL that we have gotten through by beating three fine basketball teams. We played fine fundamental basketball. I think if we keep playing this way, we can beat anybody."
The Rockets, like the Kings, finished the season with a 04-2 record and are the first team with a losing record to advance to the NBA series since the St. Louis Hawks did it in 1967.
"Malone is a big part of their success," Kansas City Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. "But you
have to give HP to guys like Henderson who hit big buckets and Billy Paulkz and all of them. I want Houston to win it all. They're the team that won the national championship division. I want them to win the championship."
After Henderson put the Rockets in front by five, 89-84, with 2:32 left, the Rockets regained the ball on Wedman's missed three-pointer.
THE ROCKETS then missed three consecutive shots at the other end, but after each attempt rebounded and held the ball for most of the shot clock's 24 seconds. Robert Reid finally connected on a lay-up with 43 seconds left for a seven-point lead and the Kings' season quickly ended.
Harris said the Rockets played tough but didn't put things together as a team until the fourth quarter when they outscored the Kings by fourteen points.
"We felt we didn't play that wet in one first半," Harris said. "But we figured they were going to play out their emotions in the first half, so we were ready for that."
"Both of these are teams can love. We just borrow our last 12 games on the road."
More rain cancels Rovals' twin bill
CLEVELAND (UPI)—The Cleveland Indians continued to have problems playing baseball yesterday in the midst of one of the wettest surrisns in history.
A scheduled doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals, necessary because the field was too wet Tuesday, was canceled because of the same reason that the Kansas City Royals have yet been made to reschedule the game.
Last week the Texas Rangers' players and officials complained to American League officials about the condition of the Cleveland field, calling it "minor league."
Cleveland responded with report from weather records that showed the月 to be the wettest
YESTERDAY'S SCORES
Cancellations or postponements were the general story across both leagues yesterday. In the American League, Seattle and Minnesota to quit in the eighth inned tie 7-2 because of rain and half. A National League game between Detroit and Philadelphia tied 2-2 when darkness hit Chicago's Wrigley Field, the only major league ballpark without lights.
American League
Kansas City (12) Cleveland (2) Ppd. (Wet Grounds)
Atlanta (5) Pittsburgh (3) Seattle 7, Minnesota 7 Ppd. (Rain and Hail)
Oakland 4, California 4
Baltimore 4, Chicago 6
Tampa Bay 5, Boston
Toronto S. Milwaukee 8 (14 lon)
National League
Chicago $6, St. Louis 11 (game)
Chicago $5, St. Louis 20 (game and game ppd — darkness)
Chicago $7, St. Louis 30 (game and game ppd — darkness)
Houston $8, Atlantic $9
Houston $8, San Diego $9
Pittsburgh $10, New York $9
Pittsburgh $10, New York $9
Lake Charles $10, Los Angeles $9
Kansas City's Otis Birdsong attempts a steal from Houston guard Robert Reid in last night's game against the Rockets in Kemper Arena. The Kings lost 97-88 and ended their stay in the NBA playoffs. The Rockets will now advance to the championship series.
MARK MCDONALD/Kansan staff
Looking ahead to Oklahoma series almost costs Jayhawks
By JIM SMALL Sports Writer
Oklahoma was on the minds of Kansas baseball players yesterday, and it almost cost the Jayhawks the second game of a doubleheader against Emporia State.
Kansas blew an eight run lead, allowing Emporia State to score four runs each in the fourth and fifth innings, before KU's Jeff Neuzil doubled to left to score John Wagner in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 9-8 KU victory. Kansas won the first game, 8-2.
BUT KU COACH Floyd Temple and his players were looking ahead to a much bigger series, this weekend's games against Oklahoma, in Norman.
"This series is very, very important," Temple said. "They're leading the league in hitting and we're leading the league in pitching, so it should be a very interesting series."
Kansas showed that it had the offensive potential to reach the playoffs in both games.
The Jayhawks shellacked starting Hornet
pitcher Jordan for three home runs, including back-to-back shots by Russ Blaylock and Juan Ramon in the third, for an 8-2 pasting of the Hornets in the opening game.
Blaylock hit his second home run of the game, a two-run belt to left-center field in the fourth, to raise his season home run total to 14, just two away from the KU single-season record of 16 set underdefender last year. Blaylock has his five home runs in the past four games, setting a KU record.
"IT FELT GOOD out there." the 6-0, 185-pound
jaco transfer said. "I just got some good pitches and hit them out of the park."
Kevin Kroeker, who pitched four innings and allowed only one hit, won the victory for Kagas.
KU continued its display of offensive power in the second game as the Jayhawks slammed Emporia State pitcher Winburn for five hits and seven runs in the third inning to jump out to an 8-0 lead. Winburn walked three batters and threw three wild pitches in the same innings.
But Emporia State climbed back into the contest moments later.
fourth, Emperor State's Jim Wood bounced a 2-1 pitch back to KU pitcher Chris Ackley, who threw the ball over first baseman Brian Gray's head, allowing three runs to score.
WITH THE BASES loaded and one out in the
Mike Watt came on in relief for the Jayhawks in the fifth, faced four batters and up three runs, including a two-run homer to Brad Hill. The Jays scored on Jim Wood's base hit, which scored Mike Dawk.
The score remained tied until the ninth when Nesiola needed pitch into the corner in left field. The score was Wagner.
Dennis Coplen was the winner for Kansas.
Women golfers finish in second
In the Big Eight women's golf tournament at
the PGA Championship, team finished sixth, with Oklahoma the winner.
The home course advantage wasn't enough for Kansas' women's golf team this week.
Dorea Mitchell, a senior on the Oklahoma team, won individual honors after a three-hole playoff win.
PATTY COE, an Overland Park sophomore, was KU's best score with a 240 total, good for 11th place in the individual rankings. She shot 79, 81 and 80 for her total.
The KU team had felt confident of recapturing fifth place from Iowa State before it lost team member Ellen Lofus to illness. Late Tuesday she was taken to the hospital with severe stomach pains.
"THE TEAM played well," Coach Rass-Ran dall said. "But they were all worried for her."
Oklahoma State finished in second place, six strokes behind Oklahoma's total of 922. Missouri was next with 955, followed by Nebraska at 972, Iowa State at 980, Kansas at 1086 and Kansas State at 1,129. Colorado does not have a women's golf team.
Mickens drafted; Big Eight total at 32
Randall said Loftus was feeling better after a day's rest.
"This hurt the team in that we couldn't select from five different scores." Randall said. "We were forced to go with just four scores. Once into a tournament no substitution is allowed."
From Staff and Wire Reports
Lester Mickens was the 11th-round choice of the New Orleans Saints yesterday, when the last six rounds of the draft concluded. He joined David Verser, an All-Big Eight wide receiver last season for KU, who was the first player in the draft to the Tuesday. Verser went to Cincinnati.
Kansas' football squad was not a team that relied heavily on the pass last season, but obviously someone saw some promise in KU's receiving corps.
The Big Eight had its usual large number of drafts; thirty-two big players were used.
Kevin Williams, a speedy wide receiver from USC, was the first choice in the seventh round by New Orleans. With Mickens and a pair of good defenders, the teams will have half of a world class relay team.
Included among the Big Eight players chosen was J.C. Watts, Oklahoma's wishbone quarterback who will probably play running
draft that lasted 16 hours and 19 minutes, the fastest draft since 1974. The American and French teams were used earlier.
back or defensive back, if he can stick with the New York Jets. Missouri's Ron Fellows, a split end who became a defensive back last season, went in the seventh round to Dallas. He was OUS Forest Valoria, a light end who will probably play on the offensive line in the pros.
St. Louis may have gotten a bargain in the ninth round when it selected Stump Mitchell from the Citadel. Mitchell was the second-lead rusher in the nation last year but was ignored because of the competition that he faced with the Citadel.
KC scores in draft but fails to get linebacker
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)—The Kansas City Chiefs went into the NFL draft looking for help in five areas and found new blood in four of them.
The Chiefs used their initial selection of the second day for fullback Billy Jackson, who rushed for 606 yards last season to help Alabama post a 10-2 season. He scored five touchdowns and had a 108-yard performance against Mississippi.
"It was not by design," Kansas City Coach Marv Levie said. "We would have liked to have drafted all linebackers but each time we had a rush, the team didn't board the board was always considerably lower
The Chiefs had hoped to find a tight end, a strong safety, an offensive tackle, a running back and a linebacker. They found all but the linebacker.
The Chiefs used their five other selections Wednesday on wide receiver David Dorn of Rice in the eighth strong safety David Veston in the ninth round, guard Les Studdard of Texas in
rated than the best player on the board. We felt we'd be reaching.
Kansas City officials are optimistic about the draft but cautioned that they would have to wait for a report on the case.
the 10th round, defensive end Frank Case of Penn State in the 11th round and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the
"Of course you've got to wait until these players actually get out onto the field," Kansas City General Manager Jim Schaaf said. "They've been excited at this point. We're very, very pleased. I don't think anybody in the NFL was better prepared for this draft than we were."
Celtics elude elimination by topping Sixers
BOSTON (UPD)—Larry Bird scored 32 points and M.L. Carr dropped in three free throws in the last 20 seconds to cap a frantic comeback last night and lead the Boston Celtics to a 111-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of their NBA semifinal playoffs.
The victory cut Philadelphia's lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The Sixers can clinch a berth in the championship finals with a victory at home Friday.
The Celtics, seemingly out of it when they tracked 109-108 with 1:51 to play, scored the game in 3 minutes.
Nate Archibald, who finished with 23 points, cut the Sixers lead in half with a three-point play with 1:20 left. Bird then brought the Celtics to a five-point loss at the lane, setting the stage for Carr's free throws.
The Celtics clamped down on defense, and the 76ers could not get off a shot, forcing Julius Erving to foul Cairn on a rebound with 20 shots. The Raptors both free throws to put Boston ahead 110-109.
Bobby Jones then missed a shot from the lane, and Carr was again fouled on the rebound. He made the first shot, then purposely missed the next one.
The 76ers had one last chance, but Jones' inbound pass from half-court was intercepted by RB Kyle Schwarzenegger.
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