The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 62

3- Friday, May 10, 1991 P-l The Penguins are a win away from the first Stanley Cup finals berth in their 24-year history after beating the Bruins, 2-1. D-7 Examiner GENERAL NEWS p-is TRACK FIELD P-3 BASEBALL SCOREBOARD p-6 SSL ZZ3 quDdod Id up ms that fane Ir03 I Details of the Warriors-Lakers bestof-seven Western Conference semifinal series, which is tied 1-1: Games Tickets EXAMMEHJOHN STOREY GAME 1: Lakers 126, Warriors 116. GAME 2: Warriors 125, Lakers 124. GAME 3: Lakers at Warriors, Friday, 7:30 p.m. GAME 4: Lakers at Warriors, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

GAME 5: Warriors at Lakers, May 14, 7:30 p.m. GAME 6: Lakers at Warriors, May 16, TBA GAME 7: Warriors at Lakers, May 18, TBA tf necessary his players, Warriors coach Don Nelson always gets his point across. Television GAME 3: KICU-Channel 36 and TNT. GAME 4: NBC, channels 4, 3, 8. GAME 5: KPIX-Channel 5 and TNT; GAME 6: KICU-Channel 36 and TNT.

GAME 7: NBC, channels 4, 3, 8. NOTE: The TNT cable broadcasts of games played In Oakland will be blacked out in all areas witiiln 35 miles of the Coliseum Arena. Given that sort of concern, it was no wonder Mullin who had to sit out the series opener against the Lakers was more than a little apprehensive before Game 2. "I wanted to play," he said, "because not playing in the first game killed me. I just wasn't sure what to expect.

The knee felt fine warming up, but I didn't know what would happen when there were nine other guys and nine other pairs of legs on the court "At the beginning of the game, I was just waiting to make a move on the knee and have it hurt. But it never did." Mullin went on to hit an amazing 16 of 21 shots, tie his career playoff scoring high and draw gasps of admiration from the likes of Magic Johnson, who himself Nellie ART players, because he was one himself." Now he's a magician, pulling rabbits out of hats and, some would have us believe, the War AT. iij v. SPANDER 9 A 'r 11,11 Royce Clayton's Warriors star admits he was apprehensive prior to sconng 41 in win over Lakers By Dwight Chapin EXAMINER SEMOR WRITER OAKLAND You might think that the day after he scored 41 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, Chris Mullin would be talking about his hot hand. But he was focusing much more keenly on his strained right knee.

"I had an exceptional shooting night, no doubt about it," said Mullin, whose scoring in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals led the Warriors to a 125-124 victory which squared the series at 1-1. "But the most exceptional part of what happened Wednesday night was that my knee was OK. I'm not good enough to play with a sore leg, especially against a team like the Lakers." You might get an argument on that especially from the stunned Lakers. But, heading into Game 3 Friday night in the Coliseum Arena, Mullin was trying to make a point for all pro basketball players. "Anytime you say the red light goes on," Mullin said.

The light was on all night for the Warriors' All-Star forward after he was injured in the first-round clincher against the San Antonio Spurs last Friday. "I didn't sleep at all," he said. "I just laid there watching my knee to make sure nothing else happened to it" DAVE) QOTTSCALKTHE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT the majors are well within his search for "The search process didn't really start until January, when we posted the job" Freelen said. "It really isnt that unreasonable." Especially considering the siege of grant funds use questions university president Donald Kennedy has been under from the U.S. government Kennedy, who will have the final say on filling the vacancy, is a staunch supporter of athletics but obviously has been distracted.

"I have tremendous confidence in Don," said Cardinal men's tennis coach Dick 'Ifcould, the only coach on the screening committee. The Friday and Sunday games In the Oakland Coliseum Arena are sellouts Radio GAME 3: KNEW 910-AM GAME 4: KNEW 910-AM GAME 5: KNEW 910-AM GAME 6 AND 7: Will be announced when game times are determined. scored 44. Mullin's teammates and coaches were bubbling with praise, too. Coach Don Nelson kept telling anyone who would listen, "That was the greatest shooting exhibition Fve ever seen in a big game." Mullin just smiled.

"Nights like that" he said, "are what you put in all the extra time for. I just wish they would happen more often." Mullin wore an ice pack on his knee before and after practice Thursday and went through some light stretching and lifting. "It feels just fine," he said, "sort See WARRIORS, D-7 Lakers Dunleavy defends leaving rookie in at end of Game 2 D-7 be short ton, whose first-place team wa3 here this week to play the Arkansas Travelers. After three years of freezing clubhouses and broken-glass infields and night rides in tin buses, Clayton finds himself talking out loud about starting for the Giants but not too loudly. "I don't want to be disappointed if I'm not called up to the big leagues this August or something," he said.

When he was drafted out of St. Bernard High in West Los Angeles in June 1988, the Giants held a press conference for the 18-year-old at Candlestick Park and he said, "I want to be up here by the time I'm 20." He's 21 now and still in Double-A ball, but he can live with it. "Coming in, I didn't realize I'd have to go through all this to get to the big leagues," Clayton said. "But I think it's worked out for the best. I don't want to go to the big leagues and then have to go back to Triple-A.

If this is the way I have to pay my dues, OK." Recalling his time at Single-A San Jose, Clayton snapped his fingers. "It went by like that" he said, "and this season has been the same. It goes by so quickly that the things you're not used to lightning, the rainstorms coming out of nowhere get lost in everything else that's going on. But I dont want to lose them. I dont want to forget" Before being assigned to Shreveport in spring training, Clayton watched Mike Benjamin and Jose Uribe fight to be the Giants' shortstop.

Craig said, "If we didn't have Uribe and Benjamin, I wouldnt be afraid to put Clayton out there right now." And he may See GIANTS, D-4 Giants gambleJose pitching prospect Mark Dewey to Mets D-4 v. Whether it's talking to an official or ow He's a man with a plan, not an ego AKLAND The ice bucket in his locker room office has a few cans of Bud Light and a few cans of Ultra Slim-Fast, thus giving Don Nelson the option of booze or lose weight that is. In basketball, the idea always is to win. "The difference between him and a lot of coaches I had," said the Warriors' Jim Petersen, "is that Don Nelson played the game. He knows how to talk to M.Y.

is A's EdoDd off tonim Oakland hoping to continue success against Yankees By Casey Tefertiller OF THE EXAMINER STAFF No team has more fun under the bright lights of the big city than the A's, even if a few of the players rarely step out into the streets. They could be singing along with Eva Gabor to the "Green Acres" theme, "New York is where I'd rather be The A's simply owned the town last year. Oakland won all 12 games against the Yankees last season, including six in Yankee Stadium. No team in the 90 years of modern baseball had swept a season series from the Bronx Bombers, at least until Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson and pals came to town. With two wins in Oakland this season, the A's win streak over the Yankees stands at 16.

The last time the A's lost to the pinstripers was Sept 8, 1989, when Dale Mahorcic beat Dave Stewart in Oakland. The only previous sweeps in baseball history were by Baltimore (12-0) over Kansas City in 1970, Baltimore over Oakland (11-0) in 1978, and Kansas City over Baltimore (12-0) in 1988. A's pitchers threw four shutouts against the Yankees last year, recording an earned-run average of 1.14. Oakland batted .287 against New York pitching and scored 62 runs. The Yankees hit .176 against See A'S, D-4 A's msy face Steve Howe, making a comeback with Yankees D-4 does it riors along on his back.

Don Nelson, the coach from the Pritikin Longevity Center, full of bon mots and curious ideas but not of himself a man with a plan but without an ego, someone who may concede that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points but will take the circuitous route to prove it. A week before his 51st birthday, this can safely be said about Don Nelson: He's got a hell of an advantage when it comes to IQ but no See SPANDER, D-7 Don't expect to see any movie stars at Friday's game D-7 seems that way. "I'm sure there are people out there who believe that" said Robert Freelen, the university's vice president for public affairs and chairman of the eight-member search committee. "I don't happen to be one of them." When Andy Geiger resigned last Sept 7 to accept a similar position at the University of Maryland, Stanford officials expressed no urgency selecting a replacement A March 1 application deadline was extended to April 12 and drew nearly 100 responses. t- 1 wait may Fast, good-hitting Double-A inhelder is looking to make a Gant leap soon By Edvins Beitikt OF THE EXAMINER STAFF LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

Royce Clayton, the Giants' No. 1 draft pick in 1988 and shortstop for the Double-A Shreveport Captains, doesn't want to get too worked up about it. But he knows the Giants are hurting and can't help but think they can use a fast, good-hitting infielder. "I'm beginning to see my name in the picture," said Clayton, who was batting .356 at mid-week. "They're starting to talk about me as a candidate for the job next year, or even sooner.

"Fve read where (general manager) Al Rosen and (manager) Roger Craig are saying it won't be long before they bring me up, but I dont know how long," said Clay- Mr. Slight "There has been an exhaustive search. I really feel that the coaches will be happy with the people we're looking at seriously." The list has been whittled to about 10, and the committee hopes to reduce it to two or three by late next week. "It's fair to say well be able to suggest to the president a list of three people in a week to 10 days," See STANFORD, D-2 Adam Keefe decks to stick with Stanford basketball D-3 Twenty-one-year-old Royce Clayton, playing at Double-A Shreveport, knows Stanford ivon't hurry School's new athletic director will inherit plenty of problems ByMarkSoltau OF THE EXAMNER 8TAFF STANFORD There is no truth to the rumor that Stanford will find a cure for cancer before it finds a new athletic director. It just.