Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.sports From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: sports Thu, Mar 12 1992 Date: Thu, 12 Mar 92 05:46:03 EST Message-ID: 03-12 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update March 12, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BULLS ROUT CELTICS: Michael Jordan scored 32 points as the Chicago Bulls handed the Boston Celtics their worst loss of the season, 119-85, Wednesday. Chicago is 30-0 when holding its opponent below 100 points. In other NBA games: Philadelphia 111, Indiana 93; LA Lakers 109, Atlanta 98; Portland 124, Minnesota 113; Charlotte 120, Dallas 105; Seattle 104, LA Clippers 96. NELSON FINED $3,000: Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson was fined $3,000 Wednesday by the NBA for comments detrimental to the best interest of the league. Nelson accused some referees of discriminating against guard Sarunas Marciulionis because he is Lithuanian. THREE MORE GAIN TOURNEY BERTHS: Delaware, Georgia Southern and Robert Morris claimed berths in the NCAA men's basketball tournament after winning conference tournament titles Wednesday. Delaware (27-3) beat Drexel 92-68 for the North Atlantic title. Georgia Southern (25-5) won the Trans America Athletic title with a 95-82 win over Georgia State. Robert Morris (19-11) beat Marist 85-81 in the Northeast Conference. BIG NIGHT IN BIG TEN: Ranked teams rolled Wednesday in Big Ten men's college basketball. No. 5 Ohio State (22-5, 14-3) took a half-game lead in the league with an 82-70 win over visiting Illinois. Also, No. 15 Michigan (19-8, 10-7) won at Purdue 70-61 and No. 16 Michigan State (20-7, 10-7) beat visiting Minnesota 66-57, dealing the Golden Gophers' NCAA hopes a setback. Mike Peplowski scored 21 for MSU. UNLV DENIED TOURNAMENT: Nevada-Las Vegas lost its last bid to play in this year's NCAA men's college basketball tournament when a judge ruled against a request by players for an injunction allowing them to compete. After a two-hour hearing, District Judge Donald Mosley said he could find no legal reason to allow the players to participate in post-season play even though they had done nothing wrong. SABRES TOP BRUINS: The Buffalo Sabres downed the Boston Bruins 6-3 Wednesday as Pat LaFontaine and Dave Andreychuk scored power-play goals in the second period. The Bruins remain winless in their last 11 road games. In other NHL games: Hartford 4, Los Angeles 0; N.Y. Rangers 7, Chicago 1; Quebec 5, Montreal 4; Toronto 3, Minnesota 0; Winnipeg 3, San Jose 0; New Jersey 2, Edmonton 2, OT. OWNERS DISCUSS STRATEGY: The threat of a strike looms as NHL owners meet Thursday to plan strategy. NHL spokesman Gary Meagher said today's meeting is primarily to give the bargaining committee a chance to report to all owners. "Nothing has been decided," he said. "As things go on, it's becoming more difficult to reach an agreement," players association boss Bob Goodenow said. JORDAN SUFFERS BROKEN JAW: Philadelphia Phillies infielder Ricky Jordan sustained a broken jaw Wednesday when struck by a line drive. In spring training games: Minnesota 3, Detroit 1; Cincinnati 9, Phila. 2; Yankees 8, Atlanta 3; Boston 7, Pitts. 5; Mets 4, Houston 2; White Sox 6, Toronto 1; Montreal 3, L.A. 0; Texas 2, Baltimore 1; Clev. 4, S.D. 1; S.F. 7, Milwaukee 5; Seattle 6, Cubs 4; Calif. 17, Oakland 9. BUSER WINS IDITAROD: Martin Buser won Alaska's 1,158-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, crossing the finish line in Nome about six hours ahead of the old record time Wednesday. He finished in 10 days, 19 hours and 17 minutes, which shattered Susan Butcher's record set in 1990. INEQUALITY REMAINS: An NCAA survey out Wednesday shows that there is still inequality between treatment of men's and women's athletic programs by colleges. Among findings: Twice as many men are participating in athletics, a disparity due largely to the number of men that play football; and the average Division I school spends twice as much or more on men's scholarships, operating expenses and recruiting. NFL TO DECIDE ON CITIES: NFL owners begin their winter meetings Sunday in Phoenix, with the seven-member expansion committee scheduled to cut the number of cities hoping to land a franchise for the 1994 season. The committee, headed by Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, will give its report Tuesday, with the number of cities likely to be reduced to between five and eight from 11. WITT TESTIFIES: Skating star Katarina Witt was cross-examined in court Wednesday in Santa Ana, Calif., by the man whose letters, she testified, made her fear for her life. On trial in federal court is Harry Veltman III, 47, charged with seven counts of sending obscene and threatening mail. He is acting as his own attorney. "I believed he was going to kill me," Witt testified. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: Jason P. Smith. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM