Notes on a Scorecard - May 10, 1995

Vlade Divac ought to get a standing ovation when he is introduced at the Forum on Friday night before the Laker-San Antonio game. . . .

He might have been the goat in Game 2, but the Lakers wouldn’t have reached the Western Conference semifinal series without Divac’s contributions this season. . . .

Maybe Jay Leno also can cheer up Divac tonight when he makes a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show.” . . .

On nights like Monday at the Alamodome, the NBA misses officials such as Mendy Rudolph, Richie Powers and Earl Strom, who went out of their way not to show favoritism toward the home team or the superstar. . . .

In overtime, it should take a seventh foul, instead of a sixth, to disqualify a player. . . .

An unsung hero for the Spurs is guard Avery Johnson. . . .

Johnson always has been underrated. . . .

He wasn’t drafted, despite setting an NCAA Division I record of 8.9 assists per game at Southern University; began his professional career in the U.S. Basketball League, has played for five NBA teams in seven years and is in his second tour of duty with the Spurs. . . .

In two games in this series, he has scored 31 points and gotten 21 assists and 10 rebounds. . . .

Solid defense must have had at least a little something to do with both teams shooting less than 40% Monday. . . .

Can Elden Campbell, never known as Mr. Consistency, stretch his streak of outstanding performances against the Spurs to three? . . . Three days between games should help to refresh Nick Van Exel. . . .

Overlooked in Game 2 were George Lynch’s 13 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench for the Lakers. . . .

I still think the only way ex-blond Dennis Rodman is going to shock people is by showing up for a game with black hair. . . .

Bill Walton called to remind me that he looks a lot better than his Clipper broadcasting partner, Ralph Lawler, since Houston’s elimination of Utah. In a debate on Channel 13 one night, Walton liked the Rockets’ chances and Lawler didn’t. . . .

An NBA draft that had been projected as weak will be deep because of all the sophomores who are leaving school, among them North Carolina’s Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse. . . .

So much for the Tar Heels’ chances to win the NCAA championship next season. . . .

Bill Spivey, the former Kentucky star who died Tuesday at 66, was one of the first of the well coordinated 7-footers in basketball. . . .

*

Angel Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for the late Jimmie Reese have been postponed from May 24 to sometime in June because Nolan Ryan, who was Reese’s best friend in baseball, wouldn’t have been able to make it to Anaheim Stadium for the May date. . . .

The coverage of the America’s Cup on ESPN is so good that I get seasick watching. . . .

John Romero of Westlake Village writes, “Willie Pastrano over Harold Johnson was also the worst decision I’ve ever seen, and I ought to know. I was one of the judges. I had Johnson comfortably ahead.” . . .

Look for marked improvement from Lennox Lewis when he fights Lionel Butler on Saturday night in Sacramento on a Don Chargin-promoted card that will include Michael Moorer-Melvin Foster and will be televised by HBO. . . .

Lewis has been working the last six weeks in Big Bear under the tutelage of trainer Emanuel Steward, who is trying to get the former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion to become more fluid and aggressive. . . .

Steward, of Kronk Gym fame, did a lot for Thomas Hearns. . . .

For the record: Affirmed in 1978 was the last horse to win the Triple Crown. . . .

Pat Haden will host the 11th annual Ricky Bell Memorial Scholarship Found Golf Classic on June 16 at Brookside in Pasadena. Spots are available by calling tournament director Jill Slavin at (818) 986-3134. . . .

On Friday, Tony Boselli will become the third consecutive NFL first-round draft choice from USC to graduate on time. Last year, it was Johnnie Morton and Willie McGinest. . . .

The young, talented Quebec Nordiques are pressing, not unlike the way the Orlando Magic is. . . .

Since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1993, the Kings are 43-68-21. . . .

A burglar in Covina last week netted only three Kings’ playoff tickets. Enjoy.