Bucks Win the Game, Almost Like in Movies

In the movie “Hoosiers,” there is a scene in which Gene Hackman purposely gets thrown out of a game to give alcoholic assistant coach Dennis Hopper an opportunity to be a hero.

Hopper wins the game by telling his team to “run the picket fence” play.

According to Jerry Sullivan of Newsday, after Milwaukee Coach Don Nelson was ejected in Sunday’s game against Philadelphia, he handed assistant coach Del Harris a slip of paper. It said, “Run the picket fence.”

Harris had to laugh. With that, the Bucks proceeded to win a laugher.

With the trade of linebacker Chip Banks to San Diego, Cleveland Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon said of top draft choice Mike Junkin from Duke: “I just hope the young kid can come in and play Chip Banks’ type of football. That’s not to put any pressure on him . . . “

Of course not.

Motown Miracle?: If the Pistons and the Red Wings overcome the odds and go all the way, Detroit would become the first city to win NBA and NHL titles in the same season.

Detroit, incidentally, was the first city to win baseball and football titles in the same season. In 1935, the Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs in six games to win the World Series, and the Detroit Lions beat the New York Giants, 23-7, for the NFL title.

Trivia Time: Who is the only home run hitter in history to hit 4 in a game, 50 or more in a season and 500 or more in a career? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: While 52,000 were watching ex-Atlanta slugger Bob Horner make his debut with the Yakult Swallows, the Braves were drawing 4,515 for their game against Montreal. Total attendance for the last five games in Atlanta: 47,645.

Add Braves: Said Rafael Ramirez, when asked why so few players from the Dominican Republic get walked: “You have to swing like a man. A walk won’t get you off the island.”

Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers will return to Auburn this summer to earn credits toward a degree in business administration.

According to the New York Times, he’s not happy about it.

“I don’t see why anybody earning $2 million a year has to go back to school,” he said.

So why is he doing it?

“Because my grandma said I have to,” he said.

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: Pete Maravich, inducted Tuesday into the Basketball Hall of Fame, is two years younger than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He’s 38.

70 Years Ago Today: On May 7, 1917, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox pitched a two-hitter to beat Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators, 1-0. Ruth knocked in the only run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

One year ago today, Paul Mokeski of the Milwaukee Bucks fouled out after playing just six minutes in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the quickest disqualification in NBA playoff history.

Trivia Answer: Willie Mays. He hit 4 home runs against the Milwaukee Braves on April 30, 1961, while with the San Francisco Giants, 52 home runs with San Francisco in 1965 and 51 with the New York Giants in 1955. He had 660 career homers.

Quotebook

Ron Kittle of the New York Yankees, after Bill Long of the Chicago White Sox beat the Yankees, 2-0, on a two-hitter Tuesday night: “It was a Long night.”