The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 16

4B JTljr Annlaton fHar, Friday, Oct. zs, iwz Walton begins comeback attempt as NBA opens The Lakers lost only two games in the entire playoffs last season, but Riley doesn't forsee an easy road to another "title. "There are two major ingredients that contribute 10 the fact that an NBA champion has not repeated since 1969," Riley said. "First, everybody plays much harder against you every night. Games in December become Fike championship games, and it's difficult to sustain that through playoffs.

"Second is the mental attitude. The team has to grow closer, because it will be challenged like never before. The team must form a solidarity." At least three teams Seattle, Denver and Utah planned to open the season with 11 men on the roster, one less than the limit. Of the three, only Seattle was among the one-third of the league that made money a year ago. at Utah.

Golden State, at Los Angeles and Houston at Seattle. Milwaukee, the only team that doesn't play tonight, opens Saturday night at home against the Knicks. The Lakers hope to become the first team since the 1968-69 Boston Celtics to win the NBA title two years in a row. The defending champion Lakers, who won in 1980 and last season, will have much the same cast of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon and Bob McAdoo.

But one major addition, top NBA draft pick James Worthy of North Carolina, might be enough to push the Lakers over the top again. "I don't know if we have any real, glaring weaknesses," Coach Pat Riley said. "But there are some things we can improve on. Specifically, our overall team defense, allowing teams to shoot a high field goal percentage I think can get better there." ing," Phipps added. "We're hoping he will progress to more frequent activity.

Right now. all signs indicate he can play more as the season wears on. By the All-Star break, we hope he can play on regular basis." the Clippers won only 17 of 82 games last year, so any contribution at all from the 6-foot-ll center who led UCLA to two NCAA title? and Portland to an NBA championship in 1977 would be welcome. "He wiTT make us more competitive and heip the league as well," Phipps said, "because he is a team player and has so much enthusiasm. The other players feel he is an asset whenever he's been able to The opening-night schedule also includes Chicago at New Jersey, Philadelphia at New York, Boston at Cleveland, Atlanta at Detroit, Washington at Indiana, Portland at Kansas City, Dallas at Denver, San Antonio By The Associated Press Bill Walton, whose brittle feet apparently had ruined his spectacular career years ago, begins another comeback attempt' with the San Diego Clippers tonight as the National Basketball Association opens its 37th season.

Walton, who has played only 14 regular-season games since 1978 because of feet susceptible to stress fractures, plans to play one game a week between law school classes at Stanford University. He is expected to be in uniform tonight for the Clippers when they host the Phoenix Suns. "If he continues as he has in exhibitions, after the first of the year he could be up to two or three games a week," Clippers General Manager Paul Phipps said Thursday. "We still have to meet with him again to iron out his schedule." "He has played very well in exhibitions, jurt outstand Guard surplus thinned by cute Carlos Terry and Gary Witts The Cleveland Cavaliers asked for waivers on guard Lowes Moore and placed guard James Silas and forward Richard Washington on the injured reserve list. The Phoenix Suns put rookie forward Charles Pittman on waivers and placed second-year swingman Craig Dykema on the injured reserve list.

Center-forward Eric Fernsten was placed on waivers by the Boston Celtics. The New Jersey Nets placed forward Mike O'Koren on" the injured list, trimming their roster to 12 The Milwaukee Bucks placed guard Charlie Criss on the injured reserve list In other developments, guard Terry Duerod signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors, but backcourlmen Michael Ray Richardson, acquired from the Knicks in a trade, and Lester Connor remained absentees. Richardson and Franklin Edwards. The 30-year-old Hollins, in his seventh season, played on the 1977 Portland team that won the NBA title and is recognized as one of the league's better defensive guards. In return for Hollins, the 76ers will get San Diego's fourth-round pick next year and second-round selection in 1984.

Elsewhere, guard Reggie Carter was cut by the Knicks. Carter, a local product from St. John's, lost his job to rookies Edmund Sherod and Trent Tucker, the Knicks' No.l draft pick. The Knicks also placed forwards Campy Russell and Toby Knight on the injured reserve list to get down to the 12-player limit. Guard Kevin Porter, a nine-year veteran, was waived and guard Kevin Grevey was placed on the injured reserve list by the Washington Bullets.

The Bullets also waived swingmen By The Associated Press Guards were a surplus commodity as the Philadelphia 7tters unloaded Lionel Hollins in a trade and several other backcourtmen were cut as National Basketball Association teams got down to the limit Thursday in preparation for the opening of the season. The 76ers the 12-player. limit for Friday's opening day by grudgingly sending Hollins to the San Diego Clippers for two draft choices. "It was a tough decision," said 76ers General Manager Pat Williams. "But to go with five veteran guards was an impossible situation from a playing standpoint.

The four guards we have left are good enough. So, after long debate, we went ahead and traded Hollins." The 76ers open their season against the New York Knicks Friday night in New York with guards Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks, Clint Bowie has no complications This is the first year the National Collegiate Athletic Association has permitted high school players to sign before their senior season, Hall said he thought the rule change was good for some, bad for others. "It's going to cause kids to push more in their junior year," he said. "I really don't think we'll know how it affects recruiting until we've been in it a couple of years, but I think it has the potential for problems." Athletic Director Cliff Hagan said Kentucky's games with the Soviet national team on Nov. 23 and Notre Dame on Dec.

1 might be rescheduled for national television. LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Sam Bowie has suffered no complications or unusual pain from surgery to graft his broken left shinbone, University of Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall said Thursday. Bowie, the Wildcats' center, is expected to remain in a Memphis, hospital until Wednesday, Hall told his weekly news conference.

"He's kind of upset over that," Hall said. "That's 14 days (of hospitalization) compared to the 10 days they told him when he went in." Hall said Bowie is "going stir-crazy," but has experienced "no complications at this stage." "The prognosis is still eight weeks in a (knee-to-toe) cast and nothing to predict until that time," Hall said. Bowie missed last season because of the hairline. fracture. He has said he will probably turn professional at season's end if he plays.

"He's hopeful of playing this year," Hall said. "If everything went OK, he would be back in January, probably the second week, and could begin getting Into condition to On another matter, Hall said there is a "good chance" he will sign a high school player to a letter of intent on Nov. 10J although.no one has made a verbal commitment. mmmimm I1143M miSTOMLUtMl lUTSovniiiiiTuiin. WPA Gymsters edge Saltos around competition, Shanna Bryant of the Gymsters was second and Lisa Moore of the Gymsters was third.

In Class III all-around competition, the Gymsters' Deanna Nunnelly, Ruth Shaw and Jeanna Epperson were first through third, respectively. In Class II all-around competition, the Gymsters' Tracy Lindley, Missi Harris and Stephanie Culp finished first through third, respectively. The Oxford World of Performing Arts Gymsters won two of three classifications in a meet with the Noma Gant School of Gymnastics Saltos in Annlston last Saturday. The Gymsters outscored the Saltos 103.6 to 99.7 in Class III competition and outpointed the Saltos 100 to 94.3 in Class II competition. The Saltos' Bridget Banks was first In Class IV all- T7 i 12 Safe! it i iiiro ii i i Mil laii vi wm a mmm mil During October, Buy Any New or Used 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle In Stock And We'U Give You Your Choice Of A SLIOHTLY 0IPMIMNT THAN ILLU! ITRATION) M.1I?0 odpl 870 Shotgun or Riffle Check our big selection oi rugged and beautiful new 4-WD Toyota Models.

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