The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 29

I V- 1 VLULL CLASS1FO AOS Pages 6-12 TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1996 The Indianapolis Star Jordan: makes the Magic disappear Michael earns redemption for last season's playoff frustration, lifts Bulls into NBA Finals with 45 points. i I vs. this series, Jordan was sensational in the clincher. He was 16-of-23 from the floor, kept the Bulls in the game when they struggled in the first half and helped them overtake Orlando In the third quarter. Now his Bulls are 11-1 in the playoffs and back in the finals for the fourth time in six years.

And they have beaten the Magic seven straight times. "I thought coming Into today we did a more-than-respectable job on Michael," Orlando coach Brian Hill said. "He got his guys Involved throughout the series, which was critical for him to do, to not approach this series as he was going to win it by himself. "But when he had to and today I thought he had to because we shut down everybody else he went out and got it done. That's the greatness of Michael Jordan." Hill expects that greatness to carry the Bulls to the title.

"Very honestly, I don't think Michael's going to be denied," he said. "This is all about a testament to his will and his excellence and their excellence as a team." The Magic became the first team since the Chicago Stags (1948-50) to be swept from the playoffs three straight years. Orlando lost 3-0 to Indiana In the first round in 1994 and 4-0 to Houston in last year's NBA Finals. But despite injuries that sidelined starters Nick Anderson and Horace Grant as well as top reserve Brian Shaw, the Magic played Game 4 with a desire that many felt they lacked in the previous three games. "I thought we answered any questions anybody had about the heart and will of our team," Hill said.

Still, Penny Hardaway called the sweep "really sickening." "We are a better team than what we displayed," he said. "Even though we had injuries, it's still hard to take that and live with it." Led by Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal, who finished with 28 points See BULLS Page 3 merous mistakes In a second-round loss to Orlando. Memories of that bitter defeat motivated him for this season, when he won his eighth scoring crown and fourth MVP and led Chicago to an NBA-record 72-victory season. "It was extra incentive," Jordan said. "We saw the challenge after last year.

We stepped In front of it, we faced it and we conquered it. It was not an individual thing. I think the team has gratification, not Just Michael Jordan." Yes. but It was Jordan who did something about it Monday. "He played the way we needed him to play to walk out of here with a win," said Scottie Pippen, who had only 12 points on 4-of-ll shooting but contributed eight assists.

"This is revenge for him to be able to prove he's still able to carry a team." After three below-average games By Mike Nadel ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. No one was going to deny Michael Jordan certainly not the Orlando Magic and he carried the Chicago Bulls into the NBA Finals with him. Jordan scored 45 points Monday as the Bulls dethroned Orlando as Eastern Conference champions by completing their sweep of the wounded Magic, 106-101 "It's been a long road, with a lot of expectations along that road," Jordan said. "We're not done yet, but it feels good to get back this far." The NBA Finals will begin Friday in Chicago if Seattle wraps up its Western Conference series against Utah on Tuesday night. Jordan, who led the Bulls to titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993 before retiring, returned last season only to make nu it Assoc istGd Pross WORTH SHOUTING: Michael Jordan adds verbal emphasis to his slam, two of his 45 points in Monday's series clincher.

1 (BP Dts WMM pip Indianapolis 500 winner gets the second-highest check ever from a record overall purse. 1996: When May bst its track magic Robin NBter By Dick Mittman STAKF WRITER Buddy Lazier received a $1,367,500 massage for his aching back Monday night. Sunday's winner of the 80th annual Indianapolis 500 was handed the second-largest payoff in race history at the Victory Banquet In the Convention Lazier, who had earned $475,876 in three previ- I OUS races, nicked nn the heftv check frnm a rprnrrl 1 To all the race fans who have called with their concerns, left a nasty voice-mail message, written a passionate letter, faxed an Insult, given me a friend 'I I i purse of $8,114,600. "The way I look at it is, I'm really going to enjoy spending it," said the 28-year-old driver from Vail, Colo. As the figure was announced, he turned to car owner Ron Hemelgarn and quipped, "I wish I had asked for a little bigger percentage." Lazier leaned on a cane at the podium.

He admitted the pain from his broken back suffered in a crash at Phoenix in March was causing much discomfort. Hemelgarn took the microphone first and told of his 19-year struggle to win the Indy 500. "This thrill here is worth all of the money' I've spent," he said. "All I can say Is, I believe I deserve this. I've paid my dues." Earlier, Lazier stood beside the Bank One Rookie of the Year Ray Harroun Award and congratulated Tony Stewart, winner over 16 fellow newcomers.

"Very surprised," Stewart said about his selection' "I thought with the way Richie (Hearn) performed In the race (third-place finish), he would be a runaway with it. After it's all shaken out now, I feel like all of the rookies deserve a piece of the rookie award'. "Everybody did a good Job this year and for so many rookies having never been in an Indy car before, let alone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, See PAYOFF Page 2 4 fl -c ye: 1 'V. 1 Staff Photo Joe Young PADDING THE WALLET: Buddy Lazier acknowledges applause from the Victory Banquet crowd Monday night. ly wave or the finger during the past few weeks, thanks for your Interest.

Now, a few final comments on this mess we call May. Tony George won the feature Sunday because, even though It still was not the true Indianapolis 500, It was a pretty damn entertaining show. Three lead changes down the stretch, Incredible speeds early and late, Eliseo Sala-zar's bump-and-grindlng and Buddy Lazler's courageous victory saved the day at 16th Georgetown. Championship Auto Racing Teams' false start in the U.S. 500 certainly made their race harder to defend, but it still doesn't disguise the fact that this month was a bore without them, qualifying was a Joke and Indy's overall show suffered.

How lucky was George? With 11 laps left, Italy's Alessandro Zampedrl was In front and, trust me, the Indy Racing League didn't want to see a foreigner take the checkered flag. With eight laps left, Davy Jones looked like the winner and that wasn't In IRL's best Interest either, because CART'S Rick Galles owned the car and it was powered by the only Roger Penske engine in the field. But Lazier and Hemelgarn Racing fit the script perfectly. Lazler's accomplishment and gutty performance probably shouldn't be diminished, but it's still like winning the NIT instead of the NCAA. CART fell on Its sword with the big plleup at the U.S.

500. but I guess that can happen when you have a real three-abreast, flying start Instead of the slow scattered, almost single-file opening See MILLER Page 2 Zanardi seeks checkered flags, finds gremlins 29-year-old European racer dominates U.S. 500 until blown engine extends his streak of bad luck for '96. .1 Despite leading more laps than anyone, Alex Zanardi is 16th in the CART season points race. Zanardl's engine erupted at the startfinish line.

Appropriately, It was only the second Honda engine to fail In competition In more than a year, Just his luck. "It's a shame (what happened Sunday) because the car was flying," Zanardi said. "I guess this is the worst part of racing. We all did a good job. We should have achieved the win.

"This bad luck keeps following me. I don't know what I have to do to make it leave me." Zanardi led the most laps Sunday, earning him one point. His only other points came in Brazil, where he won the pole, led the most laps and finished fourth. He has respective finishes of 24th, 21st, 24th, 13th and 17th In the been cursed. On Saturday night, he sat In a restaurant In nearby Bllssfield, talking about the windfalls of a victory In the Memorial Day weekend event.

He should have known better, or at least eaten In a town named for disappointment. The 29-year-old Monaco resident and Formula One driver has led more laps in his rookie Indy-car season than anyone (Paul Tracy is 29 laps behind) but is 16th in points with 15. Vasser has 94. Not coincidently, Zanardi is 15th in laps completed. On Sunday, Zanardi led 134 of 250 laps and was usually In high gear.

He had the race's quickest lap (233.493 mph). At mile marker 350, with a crowd of 110,879 duly Impressed, other events. Team manager Tom Anderson and engineer Mo Nunn have been particularly impressed with the information Zanardi has fed back despite his lack of Indy-car experience. Because the team did not receive most of its '96 Reynards until February, Zanardi spent most of the offseason learning and testing the '95. Testing has been his background, however.

In 1992 he was hired as Benetton's test driver and, in that time, he helped develop the active suspension system, which was later outlawed. Two years later, Lotus brought him Into a similar role but after four races, he replaced the Injured Pe- See ZANARDI Page 2 ByCurtCavin STAFF WRITER BROOKLYN, Mich. U.S. 500 pole sitter Jimmy Vasser crashes on the pace lap on Sunday, seemingly ending his day at Michigan International Speedway. Alex Zanardi.

his teammate at Indian-apolls-based Ganassi Racing, escapes the 12-car melee. Who finishes the race? Vasser. Who wins the race? Vasser. But who dominates? Zanardi, of course. And It was no dispute.

"Alex certainly deserved better," Vasser said. If Vasser has been blessed this season (four wins in six starts, a commanding 36-point lead In the CART standings), Zanardi has Big names get French Open off to rousing start NBA PLAYOFFS Chicago 106 Orlando 101 AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston 10 Oakland 3 Toronto 5 CTicago 4 Texas 3 Cleveland i Kansas City 5 Detroit 4 i New York 16 California 5 ond round of the French Open. Sampras, the men's top seed, served 23 aces and beat Sweden's Magnus Gustafsson 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) Monday for his first victory on clay this year, setting up a second-round clash against two-time former champion Sergl Bru-guera. "I'm trying to play on my terms, be aggressive, not be so passive like I have been in the past," said Sampras, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals In Paris. Agassi, No.

3, received a warning and a point penalty for audible obscenities one strike away from disqualification before taking advantage of a rain delay to subdue Spanish qualifier Jacobo Diaz (9-7), 6-4, 6-4. "I have a tendency to make It more difficult on myself than It needs to be," said Agassi, who had 77 unforced errors. Seles, playing her first French Open since her stabbing in Germany three years ago, dedicated Court A to the 1920s French star By Stephen Wilson ASSOCIATED PRESS "PARIS Andre Agassi struggled with his temper and a rookie qualifier. Pete Sampras won a match many thought he might lose. Monica Seles made a stirring return on a court dedicated to her Idol.

On a dreary, rainy opening day at Roland Garros, the big names overcame Injury worries, tricky opponents and emotional moments to move safely Into the sec- "Maybe somebody was looking at me from above," she said. "Hopefully, she (Lenglen) was watching me play today. It would mean a lot to me." Among other winners Monday were men's No. 6 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, No. 7 Jim Courier, No.

10 Wayne Ferrelra and No. 12 Alberto Costa. Among the women advancing were No. 5 Iva Majoll, No. 6 Anke Huber, No.

12 Mary Pierce, No. 14 Amanda Coetzer See FRENCH Page 2 Suzanne Lenglen. She then returned to the same court, sore shoulder and all, and easily beat French wild card Caroline Dhenin 6-1, 6-1 in 52 minutes. "The French Open has always had a very special place In my heart," said Seles, who won here three straight times from 1990 to 1992. "Going out there and thinking that this court is named after somebody that I really loved, now I'm playing my first match coming back on it, it's In some way a new beginning.

c. NATIONAL LEAGUE Houston 5 Pittsburgh 3 Colorado 5... St. Louis 2 Chicago 1 6 Cincinnati Atlanta Florida San Diego.