Finishing Touch in Playoff Proves Criticism Unworthy

Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle commenting on the Lakers before they lost in overtime to the Phoenix Suns in the decisive fifth game of an NBA first-round playoff series:

“The Lakers are Byron Scott unable to pull the trigger; James Worthy, all swoop and no finish; Elden Campbell trying a fadeaway jump shot within the context of a ludicrous post-up game.”

Worthy’s “finish” was pretty fair on Sunday. He had a team-high 24 points.

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Add Lakers: Laker broadcaster Chick Hearn after Vlade Divac fell to the floor: “Vlade leads the league in easy-to-knock-downs.”

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Trivia time: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of two players to be selected the NBA’s most valuable player with two different teams, Milwaukee and Lakers. Who was the other player?

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It’s the season: Before the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated the New Jersey Nets, 3-2, in a best-of-five NBA playoff series, Bernie Lincicome of the Chicago Tribune wrote:

“It is assumed they (Cleveland) will face up to their responsibilities and get on with their annual rejection by the Bulls. These Cav thrashings have become calendar fixtures this time of year, like prom dates and tulips. Spring will seem empty without them.

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Eggheads: The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team forfeited its New Jersey Athletic Conference playoff game against Trenton State on Thursday for an almost unprecedented reason: final examinations.

Academics before athletics? How revolutionary.

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Future trivia: Florida Marlin third baseman Dave Magadan after being fined $100 by the National League for throwing down his helmet and bat while arguing a called third strike:

“I am the first Marlin fined. Everybody else had all the firsts. I wanted a first, too.”

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His own slam: PGA Tour pro Mark Brooks has three victories in his career: the 1988 Greater Hartford, the 1991 Greater Greensboro and the Greater Milwaukee tournaments.

“That gives me the Greater Slam,” Brooks said.

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Trashman: Tim Harris, the Philadelphia Eagles’ new defensive end, who formerly played with the San Francisco 49ers, is known for his trash talk. “I’m a wild guy, I’m a raging-type guy,” Harris told S.A. Paolantonio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I play with my mouth and I play with my emotions. . . . I talk a lot.

“I antagonize other players. I try to get you and make you think about getting even with me rather than doing your job on the field.”

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Makes sense: From Tom Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Michigan alum Phillip Hertz asks: ‘Why did Chris Webber turn pro?’ Answer: There are more timeouts in the NBA.”

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FYI: The Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins were eliminated during the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1951-52.

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Trivia answer: Moses Malone, with Houston and Philadelphia.

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Quotebook: Philadelphia Phillie outfielder Pete Incaviglia, on whether baseball players are overpaid: “People think we make $3 million and $4 million a year. They don’t realize that most of us only make $500,000.”