Notes on a Scorecard - May 9, 1995

Elden Campbell, no star, outplayed David Robinson, superstar, Monday night. . . .

Campbell deserved a better fate than the Lakers’ 97-90 loss to San Antonio in overtime. . . .

He also deserved a better shake from the officials who did him no favors, but gave Robinson superstar treatment after he drew his fifth personal foul in the fourth quarter. . . .

It was Robinson, not Campbell, who shouldn’t have been around at the end. . . .

The Lakers are going to have to find a way to win at the Alamodome, where they are 0-6. . . .

It sure looked good when Vlade Divac was at the line for two free throws with four seconds left in regulation and the score tied. . . .

But a few minutes later, the Lakers were in such dire straits that not even Reggie Miller could have pulled it out for them. . . .

Did I really hear Chick Hearn tell Laker fans to relax in the fourth quarter? . . .

Reggie Miller says he loves being booed, which might explain why he performs so well at Madison Square Garden. . . .

It will be interesting to see how the New York Knicks react to that shocking defeat when they play the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 tonight. This could be the pivotal game in the series. . . .

Don’t expect the Chicago Bulls to stop going to their comebacking former baseball player at crunch time despite what happened Sunday at Orlando. . . .

So how do you like the O-rena? . . .

*

I trust that those rumors about the Angels trading Mark Langston to the New York Yankees are just that. . . .

The Angels have a chance to win the American League West--and so do the three other teams. . . .

If you thought the Milwaukee Brewers would start this week with the best record in the American League, you’re smarter than I am. . . .

At last report, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Class A California League were averaging 6,363 fans a game, fourth highest in all the minor leagues and behind three triple-A teams. . . .

Jimmy Garcia, the 23-year-old junior lightweight from Colombia who is fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital after being stopped by Gabriel Ruelas in the 11th round Saturday night, lost 30 pounds in two months in order to make the 130-pound limit. . . .

Among those mentioned as Oscar De La Hoya’s next opponent are World Boxing Council lightweight champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez for what would be a unification title match, James Leija, Genaro Hernandez and Gabriel Ruelas. . . .

Ruelas, whose brother Rafael was stopped in the second round by De La Hoya, would be moving up five pounds, something he has said he doesn’t want to do. . . .

Gary Stevens demonstrated that he is a class act before, during and after his Kentucky Derby victory aboard Thunder Gulch. . . .

Stevens consoled the widow of his friend Mark Kaufman, a racing publicist who died of a heart attack Tuesday in Louisville, pointed skyward after crossing the finish line, then called Molly Kaufman again. . . .

Few jockeys ever have accomplished as much as Stevens this early in the year. . . .

His victories include those in the Kentucky Derby, the Santa Anita Derby aboard Larry The Legend, and the Santa Anita Handicap aboard Urgent Request. . . .

Not bad for somebody who has spent much of his time in Hong Kong. . . .

Don’t dismiss Thunder Gulch’s chances of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew. His convincing victory in the Kentucky Derby was no fluke. He has had only one disappointing race this year--the Blue Grass Stakes--and jockey Pat Day made the mistake of letting front-running Wild Sync steal it. . . .

Hollywood Park is trying to lure some of the best 3-year-olds to the Swaps Stakes on July 23 by raising the prize money from $200,000 to $500,000. . . .

Serena’s Song, who finished 16th in the Derby after setting the pace, is scheduled to return to competition against fillies in the Hollywood Oaks on July 9. . . .

USC senior Bryan Krill, who anchored the Trojans’ two winning relay teams, won the 400 meters and finished second in the 200 in the dual meet against UCLA Saturday, is a late bloomer who never qualified for the state high school meet in any event while attending Thousand Oaks High. . . .

UCLA should finish in the top three in both the NCAA men’s and women’s meets next month. . . .

Lawrence Taylor and William (The Refrigerator) Perry sure look like a tag team to me. . . .

The United States has a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup than the America’s Cup.