Boston Celtics

In the speculation about what killed Boston Celtics and Dunbar High School basketball star, Reggie Lewis, the focus falls upon cocaine. Was he a user? Can the scarring of his heart be explained in any other way? Did people hide what they knew for financial reasons?The questions are painful, important and worthy of energetic inquiry -- not least because they amount to another examination of basketball itself. Having been denied if not forgotten, the past of this troubled sport is re-lived with regularity.

BOSTON -- A week's worth of turmoil and consternation brought the Boston Celtics to a momentous decision.They decided to make a stand. To go to the basket. To make hard fouls when necessary. To a man, they decided to play with effort for 48 minutes.The problem last night? The game went 58 minutes.The Washington Bullets, the worst team in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Celtics 125-124 in double overtime at the Garden.Celtics forward Dino Radja captured the depth of the loss best when he said: "Oh, God bless us. This may have cost us the playoffs."

Opponent: Boston CelticsSite: Boston GardenTime: 7:30TV/Radio: Channel 20/WWLG (1360 AM),WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Celtics had an impressive week last week, winning back-to back games against the two best teams in basketball, the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic. But Boston enters tonight's game with a two-game losing streak. Rookie center Eric Montross is the only Celtics player among the league leaders in any category, with his .548 field goal percentage ranking sixth. The Bullets have lost both games against the Celtics this season.

Auto racingMcLaren Mercedes -- Named Nigel Mansell driver for the 1995 Formula One season.BaseballSt. Louis Cardinals -- Bought the contract of P Chance Gledhill from the Corpus Christi Barracudas of the Texas-Louisiana League.Battle Creek Kazoos (Midwest League) -- Named DeMarlo Hale manager, Darrell Evans hitting coach, Rick Wise pitching coach and Brian Moore trainer.Mobile Baysharks (Texas-San Antonio League) -- Named former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson manager.Basketball NBA -- Fined Brian Williams of the Denver Nuggets $2,500 and suspended him for one game without pay and fined Tom Chambers of the Utah Jazz $6,000 for their parts in altercations during a game played Wednesday night.

Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers -- Named Charles "Timmy" Thompson part-time scout.New York Yankees -- Named Gary Denbo third base coach and Dave Schuler pitching coach at Triple-A Columbus.St. Paul Saints (Northern League) -- Sold the contracts of 2B Doug Kimbler and P Joe Brownholtz to the Chicago Cubs and SS Greg D'Alexander to the Florida Marlins.Sioux City Explorers (Northern League) -- Traded the rights to 3B Frank Valdez to the Sioux Falls Canaries for the rights to former Orioles C Carl Nichols.

BOSTON -- If there was ground to be gained by the Washington Bullets, last night was a good opportunity.The Boston Celtics were struggling, carrying a two-game losing streak. And the Celtics were short-handed, losing two key players in the third quarter.But the Celtics had enough, coasting to a 114-101 win over the Bullets before 14,890 at Boston Garden.It was the eighth straight loss for the Bullets, and the 16th over the past 17 games. Washington dropped to 7-24 (worst start in franchise history)

BOSTON -- Forget that the Washington Bullets had a 7-23 record going into last night's game. They were matched against the Boston Celtics who, despite their losing record, would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.For the Bullets, who trailed the Celtics by 4 1/2 games, it was a chance to gain some ground.Boston was struggling, losing two straight going into last night. Boston was weakened, with two key players going out with injuries in the third quarter. But Boston, with the returning Dino Radja scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, had enough to beat the Bullets, 114-101, last night at Boston Garden.

There is one problem with breaking a record that has stood for many years. It tends to diminish the holder of the old record.That's the way it is in the wake of Lenny Wilkens' becoming the NBA's all-time winningest coach.Wilkens set the record when his Hawks beat the Bullets last weekend in Atlanta. It was Lenny's 939th career victory, one more than Red Auerbach had with the Boston Celtics.There are millions who might take that to mean Wilkens is the best pro basketball coach ever. Remember, Auerbach hasn't been the Boston Celtics' coach since 1966.

BasketballUtah Jazz -- Announced it will sign G Walter Bond, released last month by the Detroit Pistons, to a 10-day contract.CollegeNCAA Foundation -- Named Dave Gavitt, former Big East Conference commissioner and CEO of the Boston Celtics, president.Cal-Irvine -- Suspended G Chris Brown from the basketball team for two games.Georgetown -- Dismissed G George Butler from the men's basketball team for academic reasons.