THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1996
!®B
CI)e CI}arlotte
SPORTS
Milliard spells defense for Knights
PHOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS I
Second baseman Ralph Milliard (center) is a defensive asset for
the Chariotte Knights.
By Karl Petraroja
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
For a 22-year old rookie in
the International League,
Charlotte Knights second
haseman Ralph Milliard has
his feet firmly planted on the
ground.
Actually, not all the time.
Milliard’s dazzling defense
takes him off his feet from
time to time, but he knows
exactly where to go. It helps to
have a double-play partner
like shortstop Edgar Renteria,
whom Milliard played with
last year at AA Portland.
“Defense is my No. 1 priority,
of course,” Milliard said. “Just
playing with him, we got used
to each other, so things really
get smooth. There's nothing
we have to worry about. We
know each other and that
makes it easier.”
Charlotte manager Sal
Rende is getting to know
Magic
Orlando looks
forward to
Chicago Bulls
part 3
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shaquille O’Neal is always
looking for a bright spot, even
after a bad outing.
“Winning at home makes it
sweeter,” he said, looking
ahead to Orlando's chance to
wrap up the Eastern
Conference semifinals against
Atlanta with a victory
Wednesday.
Of course, if O’Neal could
make a free throw every now
and then, the series would
have ended Monday and the
Magic could be resting up for a
meeting with the Chicago
Bulls in the conference finals.
Orlando is poised for a
rematch with the Bulls, who
eliminated New York Tuesday
in the Eastern Conference
final. In the West, Seattle,
fresh off a four-game sweep of
two-time champion Houston,
will take on the winner of the
San Antonio-Utah series.
After losing the first three
games, Atlanta managed to
avoid a sweep with a 104-99
win in large part because
O'Neal's old bugaboo - foul
shooting - reared up again at
critical moments.
One after another, his shots
clanked off the rim, most with
not even a glimmer of hope of
touching the bottom of the net.
By the end of the night, he was
5-for-17, missing all seven in
the second half when the
game was on the line.
“I've won more games than
I've lost at the line,” said
O'Neal, who isn't going to win
many with his 42 percent free-
throw shooting in the playoffs.
“(Monday) was my fault. I
don't make excuses for my
play.”
Houston still has heart. They
just don't have a third straight
NBA crown.
Their two-year title reign
ended Sunday with a 4-0
sweep by SuperSonics, who
had more than an answer for
every escape trick the Rockets
tried.
Now the challenge is getting
the title back.
See PLAYOFFS Page 10B
m
Orlando’s Shaquille O’Neal fires a hook shot over Atlanta’s Christian Laettner during
of the Eastern Conference semifinai in Atianta.
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Game 5
■iL.'
All-Star game shows off HBCU talent
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Hampton’s JaFonde Williams
scores two of his 24 points.
By Wade Nash
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
ATLANTA - Coata Malone
wasn’t going to let anyone stop
him in the Black College All-
Star basketball game.
Malone, Alabama A&M’s cen
ter, stormed in at the pre-game
breakfast and yelled, “I'm
mad. I'm going off today. I'm
going to show you how bad I
am.” His South teammates
laughed, while Virginia
Union’s Ben Wallace looked at
Malone. Later that morning,
Wallace finaly spoke. “I don't
do a lot of talking,” the North
center said. “I just let my play
on the court speak for me.”
The game, matching the
North team from the CIAA and
MEAC against the South
made up of players from the
SWAC and SIAC, allowed six
fouls, a 30-second shot clock,
and no zone defenses. The
emphasis was on playing to
NBA rules to give scouts a
first-hand look at players’
skills.
“I want the scouts to really
see the kids in an NBA game
situation," tournament coordi
nator Mark Gray said. “I hope
the score will be 125-123,
which should thrill the crowd,
especially with the players we
have. The slams are really
going to be funky.” Wallace and
Malone glared at each other
prior to the opening toss,
Malone smiled, Wallace gave
him a piercing look, indicating
the goofing was over. The
South players still talked a
good game, but now it was
time to play. The North played
a tight man-to-man defense
challenging every shot, deny
ing open passes. The run-and-
gun offense normally present
in all star games never showed
See ALL-STAR Page 10B
Milliard, and what he sees is
something he'll never tire of.
“It’s super. I mean just
watching those guys go out
and play defense,” Rende said.
“They're fun to watch. They
make so many good plays,
every night I'm saying some
thing on the game report.
“It's got to be a great feeling
as a pitcher knowing that if
you get a ground ball, you got
a pretty good chance of getting
an out.”
It’s a pretty good feeling for
the whole team. Charlotte’s
defense is much improved over
last season, when weak pitch
ing combined with spotty
defense doomed the Knights to
a 59-81 record. Charlotte is
also hitting better, which has
helped boost the Knights to a
first place record through the
opening month of the season.
Milliard has also been a
pleasant surprise at the plate.
See MILLIARD Page 10B
This Belle
takes toll
on Angels
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANAHEIM, Calif - Albert Belle got the best of Troy Percival's
fastball - and the California Angels reliever's hairdo as well.
Soon after announcing he would let his hair grow until he gave
up a run, Percival was rocked by three solo homers in the ninth
inning as the Indians beat the Angels 4-1.
“I haven’t seen as hard a heater as his in a long time,” Cleveland
manager Mike Hargrove said. “But we've got guys who can get the
bat out in front.”
Belle, after being seemingly overmatched by a fastball that put
the count at O-and-2, hit a towering shot to dead-center to break a
1-1 tie.
The homer. Belle's major league-high 200th in the last five
years, ended Percival’s string of 24 straight outs, 11 of them
strikeouts. And two outs later, Sandy Alomar and Jim Thome also
homered.
“Albert got a pretty good pitch to hit, and seeing him homer
pumped me up to face a guy who throws 98-mile fastballs,” Thome
said. “Albert fired everyone up.”
Belle's 14th homer also humbled Percival.
“I let my confidence get too high. I tried to throw the ball by him,
and I should know better than that,” Percival said. “The guy's got
See BELLE Page 10B
Stewart wants
chance to start
as Steelers’ QB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Kordell Stewart wants to be a quarterback. John
Elway wants to be the winning quarterback in a Super Bowl.
Last season Stewart was all over the field, playing running back,
receiver and quarterback for the AFC champion Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Now he wants more.
“The chance of me being the starting quarterback is there,”
Stewart said Monday at a promotional appearance for the NFL in
Central Park. “That's what I want to be this year.”
Elway also has a feeling of urgency. The 35-year-old quarterback
will begin his 14th season at Denver still searching for his first
Super Bowl championship.
“There are only so many things that you can do to try to win a
Super Bowl," Elway said of the Broncos’ three losses in 1986, ‘87
and ‘89. “Frustration wise, sure I would love to win one, but I’m
not going to become a manic depressant when I get done if I
haven't.”
See STEWART Page 11B
Run to daylight
PHOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS I
Connecticut Coyote Les Barley picks up yardage against the
Charlotte Rage in Arena Footbali League action last week.