A roundup of the week May 2-8

May 15, 1972

BASKETBALL—ABA: Indiana waited while New York, down three games to two, swept past Virginia into the championships. The Nets, aided by Rick Barry and John Roche's combined 80 points, caught the Squires by taking a 146-136 scoring war on Long Island. With Billy Paultz leading in both departments, New York shot an amazing 62% from the floor and, for the first time in the series, outrebounded the Squires. There were plenty of rebounds in the seventh game (the Nets hit but 42%, the Squires just 37%), and again New York got the lion's share. But it was Virginia's inability to score in the last 3:20 that allowed the Nets to move from 88-all to a 94-88 win. Happy Coach Lou Carnesecca explained, "We've learned to play together. We've gained so much maturity." Asked about the series with Indiana, he bubbled, "We don't need a plane. We can fly there right now." They took a plane anyhow, stopping three times, and a bus for the last 50 miles. Then Indiana, paced by veteran Guard Freddie Lewis' 33 points, cut the Nets' string 124-103.