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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1997)
ON THE TUBE NBA Playoffs Miami vs. Chicago, NBA (6), 6p.m. msmsMim Emerald MVP Malone leads the Jazz to a victory over Houston ■ PLAYOFFS: Utah’s victory over the Rockets moves them within one victory of the NBA finals The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The MVP fi nally had the kind of game everyone was waiting for. Karl Malone had his highest-scoring game of the Western Conference finals with 29 points and shut down Charles Barkley defensively Tuesday night as the Utah Jazz moved within one victory of the NBA Finals with a 96-91 win over the Houston Rockets. Malone, who had been saying “I’m due” for the better part of a week, made 11 of 22 shots and grabbed 14 rebounds. Several of his shots were rally-killers in the second half against the Rockets, who fell behind for good in the second quarter but refused to go down easily. Malone, who averaged 27.4 points on 55 percent shooting this season but just 22 points on 43 percent this series, finally locked up the victory 1 with two free throws with 13 seconds left that gave Utah a 96-89 lead. Sometimes you forget what Karl Mal one can do for your team, but when the game’s all done you notice. He came up with a heck of a game tonight,” Jazz guard John Stockton said. “I knew Karl was going to come back ready to play. You can’t ever guarantee you’re going to shoot the ball well or not turn it over or all those things but I knew Karl was going to come ready to play and he certainly did.” It was the 22nd straight home victory for the Jazz, who haven’t lost at the Delta Cen ter since Feb. 23. They will look to wrap up the series Thursday night in Houston, but they’ll have to become the first team to win a road game in this series. Six Utah players scored in double fig ures. Stockton had another strong game with 17 points, Bryon Russell scored 13, Jeff Hornacek 11 and reserves Howard Eis ley and Antoine Carr had 10 each. Turn to PLAYOFFS, Page 12 NBA PLAYOFFS ■ LEADING SCOERS: Olajuwon, Hou. 331 Malone, Utah 29 ■ LEADING REDOUNDERS: Olajuwon, Hou. 10 j Malone, Utah 141 ■ ASSIST LEADERS: Barkley, Hou. 5 j Stockton, Utah 6 ■ (T n r ! J . I n IK r-rT YESTERDAY'S RESULTS NBA PLAYOFFS Houston.91 Utah.96 American League Anaheim.2 Detroit.6 Milwaukee.6 Boston.7 Baltimore.10 NY Yankees.6 Oakland.8 Kansas City.6 Texas.15 Toronto.5 Cleveland.2 Chi. White Sox.8 Seattle.10 Minnesota.11 National League 81. LOUIS.8 Colorado.6 Houston.4 San Francisco.5 Philadelphia.2 Cincinnati.1 Atlanta.9 San Diego.2 Chi. Cubs.8 Pittsburgh.7 NY Mets.4 Montreal.5 Florida.8 Los Angeles.5 Pitino names Miami’s Chris Wallace as new GM BOSTON (AP) — Rick Pitino says Chris Wal lace is the man to talk to if you want to talk to the Boston Celtics. Wallace is just as clear about his position in the franchise’s chain of command. “I’m working for him,” Wallace said Tuesday after Pitino made him the Celtics’ general manag er. Wallace was hired away from the Miami Heat, where he was director of player personnel. The Celtics had to give Miami the 30th overall pick in the upcoming draft and in return got the Heat’s 55th pick. “I think he’s worth a couple of first-round picks,” Pitino said, adding that he didn’t expect to get much with the pick anyway. “He promises me he’ll have an incredible guy at 55.” The Celtics will need it as they try to rebuild af ter the worst season in franchise history. The team cleaned house, bringing Pitino in as coach and president, firing longtime general manager Jan Volk and bumping patriarch Red Auerbach upstairs. Yankees and Irabu still close to an agreement NEW YORK (AP) — Hideki Irabu and the New York Yankees remained close to agreement on a $13 million, four-year contract, which could be finalized by Wednesday or Thursday. Both sides have agreed to financial terms of the deal, which includes a $7.5 million signing bonus, but were still negotiating contract language. Irabu was 12-6 with a 2.40 ERA last season, leading Japan’s Pacific League in ERA fcr the second straight season. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS MARK McTYRE/Emerald Oregon’s Ben Crane is the lone Duck competing at the NCAA Championships today through Saturday in Lake Forest, III. S . ' jtSSS 'fl Crane is Ducks’ only hope ■ GOLF: Oregon’s only representative at the NCAA Championships is confident going into the tournament By Ryan Halvorsen Sports Reporter Ben Crane will have a chance to give the Oregon men’s golf team a little more recog nition when he represents the Ducks in the NCAA Men’s Golf Cham pionships in Lake forest, 111., beginning today. The sophomore from Beaverton qualified for nationals as one of the top two golfers not on a 'll 1HPIP1 GOLF qualifying team at the NCAA West Regional Tournament. He fin ished tied for 16th at regionals, playing the tournament 1-under par, which was good enough for the second qualifying spot. The Ducks haven’t been to nationals as a team since 1990, when they placed 23rd overall, and they haven’t been represented individually since then. They missed going as a team by five strokes in 1997, finishing tied for 12th overall. Crane has been one of the Ducks’ more Turn to GOLF, Page 12 : ' S8 ' : Luyendyk wins second Indy 500 in seven years ■ RACE: Arie Luyendyk defeated afield with 13 rookies and 10 second-year racers The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 got a famil iar face at the finish, after all. So much for all those new guys. Arie Luyendyk outlasted rival Tony Stewart and out maneuvered teammate Scott Goodyear on a confusing last-lap restart to win his second Indy. And, he came out of a field in which two-thirds of the drivers haven’t even raced here more than twice. Just goes to show there’s no substitute for a guy who knows his way around this track. “I’m probably more excited than I was in 1990,” Luyendyk said after climbing out of his car in Victory Lane. “I had to work a lot harder. ... I had to fight for it pretty hard today.” Luyendyk, an obscure name himself not so long ago, was the wizened veteran in this crowd; he was one of only two former winners in this year’s field, and the oth er was defending champion Buddy Lazier. His first win came in the fastest Indy ever. This time, he had to get through two frustrating days of rainouts and survive a race in which all 35 starters were in new cars powered by engines that had never run a 500-mile event. And this field was considerably less experienced with 13 rookies and 10 second-year drivers — many of them unfamiliar names and faces to anybody but the most fanatical fans. The Flying Dutchman was indeed the man to beat all month. He led every practice session in which he ran, won the pole and ran at or near the front for all 200 laps Tuesday. In fact, he led six times for 61 laps, taking the lead for the final time when he drove past Goodyear on the first turn of a restart on lap 194. Stewart, who started alongside Luyendyk on the front Turn to RACE, Page 12 ccI’m probably more excited than I was in 1990. I had to work a lot harder. ...I had to fight for it pretty hard today. Arie Luyendyk Indy Car driver
