The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 38

6D Friday, April 5, 1996 Montgomery Advertiser! Drift JOS BRING ME THE HEAD OF DENNIS RODMAN SPORTS (4 Wins needed AfiA W' Pet 0 64 8 .889 100-92 vs. Miami Games remaining: 10 at Charlotte Orlando Charlotte New Jersey Philadelphia Cleveland I i I if. i i 'i: torn-' April 7 at April 8 April 11 af April April 14 af lAprillOL April 18vs. April 20ys. April 21 "at Milwaukee Detroit Indiana Washington CHICAGO Michael Jordan scored 40 points and Toni Kukoc had a career-high 34 Thursday night as the Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference with a 100-92 victory over the Miami Heat.

Dennis Rodman pulled down 12 rebounds in his first home game after serving a six-game suspension for head-butting referee Ted Bernhardt one of the three officials in Thursday's game. Rodman, who returned for Tuesday's win at Miami, played without incident. The Bulls (64-8) need to win six of their final 10 games to reach an NBA-record 70 victories. They are 37-0 at home, with 44 consecutive regular-season home wins dating back to last year. Tim Hardaway and Walt Williams scored 20 points apiece for Miami, which fell into a tie with Charlotte for the conference's final playoff spot.

The Bulls can help the Heat by winning Friday in Charlotte. Both the Heat and Hornets have nine games remaining. Suns 107 Jazz 100 "PHOENIX Kevin Johnson scored 18 of his 31 points in a lopsided first half and then helped Phoenix avert a fourth-quarter collapse as the Suns beat the Utah Jazz 107-100 Thursday night oThe win was the sixth straight at home for the Suns and moved them ahead of idle Portland for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Utah, losing its third game in a row for the first time since November' 1994, trailed 59-38 late in the first half and 85-73 entering the fourth period.

Jeff Hornacek, who paced the Jazz with 23 points, brought Utah within 98-96 on a baseline jumper with 2:53 remaining. But Utah only made two more field goals the rest of the way as Johnson and rookie Michael Finley took over down the stretch. Celtics 100 Magic 98 ORLANDO, Fla. David Wesley's jumper with less than a second remaining Thursday night gave Boston a 100-98 victory over Orlando, which blew a 19-point second-half lead without Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway. O'Neal missed his second straight game because of the death of his grandmother, and Hardaway was ejected late in the half after taunting Boston's Pervis Ellison and picking up a second technical foul for arguing the call.

Wesley scored 17 of his 22 points in the third quarter and his 16-foot game-winner over a fallen defender was his only basket of the fourth period. Rick Fox had 16 and Dee Brown 15 for the Celtics. i ASSOCIATED PRESS" AP Cavaliers 98 Raptors 77 TORONTO Dan Majerle and Terrell Brandon each scored 19 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the injury-plagued Toronto Raptors 98-77 Thursday night. The Raptors, with only nine healthy players, scored just 10 points in the second quarter when they missed 13 of 17 shots from the field. Toronto played without Damon Stoudamire (knee tendinitis), Oliver Miller (bruised calf), Zan Ta-bak (strained groin) and Sharone Wright (back spasms).

Bobby Phills had 18 points for Cleveland, which moved into a tie with the New York Knicks for fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Chris Mills added 16 points for the Cavs. Bullets 113 Hawks 110 ATLANTA Brent Price made two free throws with 10.7 seconds remaining and the Washington Bullets scored the game's final 12 points to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 113-110 Thursday night. Price was fouled by Christian Laettner on a drive to the basket, and his foul shots gave the Bullets a 112-110 lead. After Mookie Blay-lock missed a 3-pointer for the Hawks, Bob McCann hit 1 of 2 free throws in the final second for the final margin.

The Bullets trailed 110-101 with 4:44 remaining before embarking on their game-ending spurt. Tim Legler scored seven points during the run and finished with 15. A good bet to scare children and animals throughout the Chicago area, this mural features the head of Bulls forward Dennis Rodman. The artwork on a northside warehouse has caused traffic jams because drivers slow down to admire the work. Parish moves to brink of longevity record Bristow said.

"I don't think going to just play five or six games. past the record and then say, 'WelL I've got the record, so that's it' Told of Bristow's remarks, ParT ish smiled. "I definitely appreciate the en-jv dorsement," he said, "Definitely I would like to play." Parish has started 15 consecutive games as part of Bristow's switch to a two-center lineup, a move that has given Charlotte a boost in its bid to grab the final Eastern Conv' ference playoff spot. Parish has come up with some big games during the run, include: ing 17 rebounds against and a 14-rebound, 7-block ance that helped the Hornets defeat-the Lakers earlier this week. the NBA Finals and three league titles.

Now in his second season in Charlotte, Parish has recently found himself back in the starting rotation as the Hornets fight for a playoff spot. How long can he continue? Parish, who will be 43 in August, said that's a question he'll ponder this summer. One of the factors he said will come into play is his contract status. "Next year's an option year the team's option so I don't know what direction they're going to be headed in," he said. "I don't know whether I'm included in their future or not." "I'm sure he'll end up playing next year," Charlotte coach Allan court against the Chicago Bulls, he will be appearing in his contest.

"I'm trying to downplay all this," said Parish, now a 42-year-old grandfather whose hair is flecked with gray. "I'm just trying to keep it as low-key as possible. It's difficult for a 7-footer to be in the background. But I try to do it as much as I can." Parish was rarely in the background in 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics, a team he joined in a trade after spending his first four years in the league with Golden State. Parish was a mainstay in the middle for a Boston team that made 13 consecutive playoff appearances, including five berths in THEASSOCIATED PRESS CHARLOTTE, N.C.

At age 23 and fresh out of Centenary, Robert Parish had already set what he considered a lofty goal for his NBA career. "Ten years," he said, smiling and slowly shaking his head as he chuckled at the memory of his myopic vision. "I thought if I could play 10 years in the league, it would be a great career more than I could ever hope for in my wildest dreams." Ten seasons has turned into 20, and on Friday Parish can tie Ka-reem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for career games played. When the Charlotte Hornets center takes the From Associated Press reports The new American Soccer League Cauthen 'Smokes' Hudson In U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials Playoffs: Eight teams, four in each conference, qualify for the playoffs.

Conference semifinals-best-of-three Conference finals-best-of-three Championship Game-October 20 in Foxboro, Mass. (1 game championship). Season: April 6-Oct. 20 Schedule: 32-game regular-season games, (16 home, 16 away). Four games against each conference opponent and 16 games out of the conference plus a minimum of two exhibitions against foreign clubs.

Pro soccer makes return to U.S. Kickoff: ESPN will televise the debut of Major League Soccer on Saturday at 7 p.m. UlfDQ-S MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Teams: Five teams in each conference. AtlantaQQQ Summer Games Columbus Washington New England NYNJ Tampa Bay Crew D.C. United Revolution MetroStars Mutiny a i mi 105 If ft Boston (Foxboro Stadium) Kansas City (Arrowhead N.Y.-N.J.

Denver (Mile High Stadium) Stadium) (Giants Stadium) Columbus (Ohio Stadium) I San Jose (Startan Stadium) Los Angeles (Rose Bowlw Washington D.C Dallas (RFK Stadium) (Cotton Bowl) National 165-pound Sheika of Paterson, N.J., was' sent into the losers' bracket, 15-6 by Rhoshii Wells of Riverdale, Ga, Ronald Simms, at 32 the oldest'' competitor and competing third Olympic trails, reached the-; 165-pound final with a 12-11 win over Byron Mitchell of Ozark, Ala. Simms, who didn't get past the, quarterfinals in the 1988 and 1992 trials, is stationed at Langley Ahv Force Base in Virginia. Brian Adams, another U.S.,,' champion, was eliminated from the competition when he lost for the second time. The New was outpointed by Adan Reyes of Los Angeles at 132 pounds. The" score was 8-8, with Adams winning-: 40-39 on a tiebreaker.

David Palac of Hamtramck, a U.S. and Police Athletics League champion, also was elimi-'f nated at 147, losing 7-4 to Brandon Mitchem of Augusta. There three walkovers in the los- ers' bracket. Armando Conteras of La Mirada, won at 11,2 pounds because Pedro Pena of Los Angeles ruptured an Harold Sconiers of Orlando, Fla." advanced at 201 pounds when Juan. Cruz of San Diego went home.

Lovy Page, a super heavyweight from Dallas, advanced because of a nose injury to Ryan Brieske of the' Army at Fort Carson, Colo. Six champions will be crowned on Friday night and six Saturday, i They will then meet the losers' bracket winners, to be determined Sunday, at the box-offs to de- termine the Olympic team for At- lanta. Tampa Bay THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OAKLAND, Calif. Joe Frazier told Terrance Cauthen to box. That's right, Joe Frazier old take-no-prisoners Smokin' Joe.

Cauthen, who trains at Frazier's gym in Philadelphia, did not have to be told to box. That's his style and he's been well-schooled in the art by his coach Sam Hickman. So, with Frazier watching in the stands, that's what the 20-year-old Cauthen did in outpointing 17-year-old Jacob Hudson of Augusta, Thursday and advancing to the 132-pound final at the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

"He just keeps coming," Cauthen, a left-hander, said of Hudson. "I just stuck to the game plan box him, box him, use my right hand." Cauthen was especially sharp with counter punches in the third round. Cauthen laughed when it was jokingly suggested that Frazier, the former undisputed heavyweight champion, probably was rooting for the aggressive Hudson. Floyd Mayweather, 19, of Grand Rapids, advanced to the 125-pound final in spectacular fashion Thursday night by knocking down James Baker of Capital Heights, and stopping him at 1:27 of the first round. The referee began to count, then signaled the match over.

Mayweather is the Police Athletic League and National Golden Gloves champion. U.S. champion Augustine Sanchez, 18, of Las Vegas, an excellent (Tampa Stadium) 3y Jerry Langdon GANNETT NEWS SERVICE Dan Calichman probably would lie going back to school, studying veterinary medicine and playing in the A-League if there was no Major League Soccer. Brian McBride would have stayed in Germany, playing second division soccer. Jason Kreis "would be taking my chances in Europe, perhaps Portugal or Scotland." Elliot was playing indoor sOccer, also thinking about returning to school, and looking at either Mexico or Europe for outdoor op-pertunities.

j-Felipe Rodriquez was flatout hfaded for Atlas of the Mexican First Division. five players, all expected UJ Be starters, represent the bulk of the new Major League Soccer, wjifch debuts at 7 p.m. Saturday with San Jose Clash host to (Wash-ujgton) D.C. United, to be televised on ESPN, before a sellout 32,000 at Spartan Stadium. Another element also is involved.

Mike Clark says he is looking toj-ward to "an opportunity to prove we can play and compete" fdj berths on the U.S. national team. MLS oficials are optimistic afout the season. 'Season ticket sales will exceed 46,000, and we've never played a says MLS chairman Alan Rothenberg. "We have investment Colorado Dallas Kansas City Los Angeles San Jose Rapids Burn Wiz Galaxy Clash body puncher, eked out a 17-16 decision over Carlos Navarro of Los Angeles in the other 125-pound semifinal.

Three U.S. champions were beaten in semifinals Wednesday afternoon and now have to reach the Olympic box-offs April 18-20 at Augusta by winning in the losers' bracket of the this double-elimination tournament. Sean Johnson of Washington, beaten 17-9 by Albert Guardado of Topeka, in the U.S. championships 106-pound final in February, scored an 8-7 decision over Guardado. It was Johnson's first win In four bouts against Guardado.

"It's my biggest win in amateur boxing," said Johnson, 26. "Albert is one of the best ever. It's hard not to respect him." "I wasn't expecting to be in the losers' bracket," said Guardado, 22, "but here I am." Jesus Vega of Salinas, the U.S. 119-pound champion, had a big third round, but couldn't overcome a slow start and was beaten 18-15 by Steve Carter of the Navy at Norfolk, in a semifinal match. ASSOCIATED PRESS gets a rhythm, coaching, and, of course, avoiding injuries." "Just about anyone who is playing overseas has dreamed of the chance to perform in a top league in the United States," says Calichman, a defender with the Los Angeles Galaxy, who has played professionally in Japan.

"It's tough playing and living overseas. It's not romantic at all. But there has been no other option for a lot of people." capital that will take us through the early years of losses. We have major sponsors. We have a terrific TV package.

It's really now up to the public." "And the players," adds deputy commissioner Sunil Gulati. "Everyone's recruiting class is the same," he says about the MLS-controlled player allocation and $1.13 million salary cap limits "Now it's a question of who works harder, who jells as a team, who.