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, May 7 1992 Date: Thu, 7 May 92 05:31:39 EDT Message-ID: 05-07 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update May 7, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BLACKHAWKS CLOSE TO SWEEP: The Chicago Blackhawks moved to within one game of sweeping their best-of-seven Norris Division final with a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday. Dirk Graham's second goal of the game with 4:47 left broke a tie and gave the Blackhawks a 3-0 series lead. In the Smythe Division final, the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 to take a 2-1 series lead. KEY PLAYERS INJURED: The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins face the possibility of playing Thursday without their leading players. Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux definitely won't play against the Rangers because of a broken hand. The Rangers list center Mark Messier as day-to-day with back spasms. Ray Bourque of the Bruins has a broken finger and is listed as day-to-day. JAZZ WIN OPENING GAME: The Utah Jazz beat the Seattle SuperSonics 108-100 in the opening game of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. Karl Malone scored 30 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and teammate Ty Corbin added 23 for the Jazz. Game 2 of the series is Friday night at Salt Lake City. REDSKINS FACE COWBOYS IN OPENER: The defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, who have never defeated the Dallas Cowboys in an NFL season opener, get another chance Sept. 7. The 1992 schedule, released Wednesday, has the Redskins opening in Texas Stadium against Dallas in the season's first Monday night game. Washington also faces a three-week November road stretch (Seattle, Kansas City, New Orleans). SANDBERG POWERS CUBS TO WIN: Ryne Sandberg had two home runs and four RBI Wednesday as the Chicago Cubs downed the Houston Astros 8-4. Greg Maddux (4-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in 7 1:3 innings to pick up the win. In other NL games: Cincinnati 5, New York 3; Montreal 4, San Diego 3; Los Angeles 3, Philadelphia 1; St. Louis 5, San Francisco 4, 11 innings; Pittsburgh 4, Atlanta 3, 16 innings. ROYALS TOP BREWERS: The Kansas City Royals downed the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 Wednesday as Jim Eisenreich hit Jaime Navarro's first pitch of the seventh inning for a tiebreaking home run. Mark Gubicza (2-2) got the win. In other AL games: Baltimore 6, Minnesota 2; Chicago 7, Boston 5; Cleveland 7, Texas 2; Oakland 5, Detroit 2; Toronto 12, Seattle 4; California 3, New York 2. TYSON PLEADS GUILTY TO COUNT: Mike Tyson will remain in a segregated unit at the Indiana Youth Center after pleading guilty Wednesday to one count of threatening prison staff. He pleaded innocent to a second charge and will have a hearing next Wednesday. The former heavyweight champion is serving a six-year sentence for rape at the prison in Plainfield, Ind. TOP PLAYERS LOSE: Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe lost to unseeded players at the German Open in Hamburg Wednesday. Agassi, the 11th seed, was beaten 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 by Carlos Costa. Seventh-seeded Lendl was beaten 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 by Omar Camporese, and unseeded McEnroe lost to Stefano Pescosolido 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-4. SABATINI, CAPRIATI WIN: Defending champion and No. 2 seed Gabriela Sabatini breezed to victory in her opening match at the Italian Open in Rome, and the USA's Jennifer Capriati fought off match point to win in three sets. Sabatini defeated fellow Argentine Mercedes Pez 6-3, 6-1. Capriati struggled to defeat Italy's Sandra Cecchini 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4). TOUR DU PONT BEGINS THURSDAY: The battle for the honor of wearing the leader's yellow jersey - called a race of truth - takes place Thursday night as the Tour Du Pont begins in Delaware. The longest and richest cycling event in the USA features three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond and his longtime rival Laurent Fignon, a two-time Tour de France winner. The race concludes May 17 in Washington after 1,000 miles. JACKSON, MURRAY HEAD TO NBA: Ohio State forward Jim Jackson and UCLA forward Tracy Murray said Wednesday they will pass up their senior seasons to play pro basketball. They will be eligible for the June 24 National Basketball Association draft. STANKOVIC SAYS JOHNSON CAN PLAY: Boris Stankovic, head of the international basketball federation, says there is no reason why Magic Johnson, who has the AIDS virus, cannot play in the Barcelona Olympics. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said recently he didn't expect Johnson to play, basing his opinion on the fact that Johnson, who retired from the NBA last November, is no longer competing on a regular basis. 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