A roundup of the week Jan. 4-10

January 17, 1972

BASKETBALL—NBA: In the Game of the Century of the week, Midwest Division leader Milwaukee snapped Los Angeles' record-winning streak at 33 with a 120-104 win over the Pacific leader (page 12). Six days earlier New York and Milwaukee, the last two league champions, met for the first time this season at Madison Square Garden. It was the inaugural nationwide broadcast of the 1971-72 New York season, and the game was enough to gladden the heart of the most pessimistic TV mogul. New York won a thriller 101-99 when Walt Frazier scored his team's last 13 points, including the winning basket with three seconds left. But before New York fans could gloat over beating Milwaukee despite the continued absence of injured Center Willis Reed, who has been out since Nov. 11, the Bucks undid the Knicks 121-100 a night later in Milwaukee behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 36 points. When the Knicks lost to lowly Philadelphia for the fifth straight time 117-113, Boston opened up a three-game lead in the East Division. Baltimore created some daylight in the murky Central Division by extending its win streak to five, taking all three of its opponents—Detroit 111-89, Chicago 104-94 and Atlanta 110-102. Jack Marin had 84 points and Archie Clark 79 for the week as the Bullets moved to a four-game lead over Cleveland.