Notes on a Scorecard - June 7, 1994

That sigh of relief you heard Sunday came from NBC headquarters in New York. . . .

NBA playoff ratings are down and a Houston Rocket-Indiana Pacer series would have been a ratings disaster. . . .

Instead, the network gets the team everyone outside New York and sister city L.A. loves to hate, the Knicks, against the Rockets in the finals that begin Wednesday in Houston. . . .

That means a quality matchup at center, Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Patrick Ewing. . . .

The last time they met for a national championship was on April 2, 1984. . . .

It was Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas vs. Olajuwon’s Houston Cougars for the NCAA title at the Kingdome in Seattle. . . .

According to former Times writer Mike Littwin’s story, the widely advertised duel turned into “a minor skirmish.” Ewing had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Olajuwon had 15 points, nine rebounds and one block. . . .

Georgetown got 19 points in 26 minutes from a freshman named Reggie Williams and won, 84-75. . . .

Ten years later, look for Olajuwon to reverse the decision. . . .

He has become the premier player in basketball, far more consistent than Ewing, and his supporting cast is better. . . .

Call it the Rockets over the Knicks in five. . . .

*

That report that the Clippers will ask New York for permission to talk to Pat Riley about coming back to L.A. makes sense. . . .

Donald Sterling always asks. . . .

He probably also will ask the Pacers for permission to talk to Larry Brown, who, surprisingly enough, isn’t crazy about living in Indiana. . . .

A cinch to be traded in the off-season is Pacer guard Pooh Richardson, the former UCLA Bruin who fell out of favor with Brown and didn’t even suit up for playoff games. . . .

Among those who will play for USC Coach George Raveling on the U.S. team in the Goodwill Games next month at St. Petersburg, Russia, are Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman of Arkansas, Cherokee Parks of Duke and Damon Stoudamire of Arizona. A summer school obligation is expected to keep Ed O’Bannon of UCLA out. . . .

The team will practice for 10 days at UC Irvine starting July 4. . . .

Only in 1994 is 21-7 as likely to be a baseball score as a football score. . . .

Ron Coomer, the 27-year-old third baseman who is driving in a lot of runs for the Dodgers’ Albuquerque farm club, owns a hitting academy in his hometown of Crest Hill, Ill. . . .

The Stephenson family of Southern California could emulate the Boone family by producing three generations of major league baseball players. . . .

UCLA pitcher Brian Stephenson, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round last week, is the son of Dodger scout and former Boston, Seattle and Dodger pitcher Jerry Stephenson, and grandson of former New York Giant, Chicago Cub and White Sox infielder Joe Stephenson. . . .

Paul Wilson’s first appearance in the College World Series made it easy to see why the New York Mets made the right-handed pitcher the No. 1 pick in the draft. . . .

*

Rumors persist that the St. Louis Blues are willing to make Brett Hull available. The Kings might be interested, although Hull’s salary is hefty. . . .

If the Canucks’ legs looked weak Saturday night, maybe it’s because they flew back to Vancouver on a charter after Thursday night’s game and the Rangers got a good night’s sleep before leaving Friday morning. . . .

Trainer Al Stankie gave boxing lessons to Lolita Davidovich for her starring role in the motion picture “Stranger Things.” She is now Kid Davidovich, a well tuned fighting machine. . . .

Larry Donald--who is still scheduled to fight Riddick Bowe July 15 at Hollywood Park, pending Bowe’s recovery from a back injury--stopped somebody named Juan Antonio Diaz in the sixth round Saturday in Reno. . . .

Sixteen of the 22 members of Brazil’s World Cup team go by a single name only. . . .

Thoroughbred racing might finally have a superstar in The Wicked North, who overcame all kinds of problems before and during the $300,000 Californian Sunday at Hollywood Park to win in track record time of 1:46 3/5 for 1 1/8 miles. . . .

Chris McCarron, who is 10 victories shy of becoming the 11th rider to win 6,000 races, has been engaged to ride in a $100,000 race at Arapahoe Park on June 19. Hollywood Park officials fear the prospect of No. 6,000 being achieved in Aurora, Colo. . . .

New York is trying to become the first city ever to win the NBA championship and the Stanley Cup in the same year.