A Roundup Of The Week March 30-april 4

PRO BASKETBALL—Three straight wins by red-hot Denver lifted the Nuggets to within half a game of first place in the Midwest Division, behind struggling San Antonio , which was winless in four games. The Nugget victories extended their win streak to 12 games but it ended on Sunday, 140-116, at Seattle . Meanwhile, Utah , last in the Midwest and 0-for-March, snapped its NBA season-high 18-game losing streak on April 2, by beating Kansas City 127-118 behind Adrian Dantley 's 42 points. Dantley then pumped in 40 to lead the Jazz over San Diego 133-124, giving the Clippers their 13th consecutive loss and 28th in 30 games. An earlier San Diego defeat, 117-100 by Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles , enabled the Lakers to become the fourth team to clinch a playoff spot. Among other playoff clinchers, Central Division leader Milwaukee went unbeaten for the week, as did Boston , pacesetter in the Atlantic Division , which yielded no ground to second-place Philadelphia (page 34).

BOWLING—PETE COUTURE beat Joe Berardi 240-222 to win a $110,000 PBA event in Overland Park , Kans.

GOLF—DANNY EDWARDS shot a 3-under-par 285 to win the $300,000 Greater Greensboro Open by one stroke over Bobby Clampett .

Sally Little fired a 10-under-par 278 to finish on top at the $310,000 Dinah Shore Invitational at Rancho Mirage , Calif. Sandra Haynie and Hollis Stacy were second, three strokes back (page 32).

GYMNASTICS—NEBRASKA beat UCLA 286.45-281.80 at Lincoln, Neb. for a record-tying fourth consecutive NCAA team championship. The individual all-around title, however, was won by UCLA 's PETER VIDMAR, who upset two-time champion Jim Hartung of Nebraska 116.30-115.80.

HOCKEY—With two victories, a tie and a loss in the final week of the season, the Patrick Division champion New York Islanders lifted their league-leading point total to a club-record 118, seven more than runner-up Edmonton , the Smythe Division winner, and nine more than Montreal , which won the Adams Division. The Canadiens , however, did win their sixth trophy in seven seasons for allowing the fewest goals (223). Mainly, though, it was a season for scorers. The most goals in 38 years (6,741) were scored in the season's 840 games, and the 100-point mark was attained by a record 13 players, led by Edmonton 's Wayne Gretzky at 212. And when the Islanders ' Bryan Trottier scored his 50th goal in a 6-3 win over Philadelphia , the league also had a record 10 50-goal scorers. Tops among them, with a record 92, was Gretzky , who also finished with a record 120 assists. Winnipeg 's Dale Hawerchuck was the leading rookie scorer with 103 points.

HORSE RACING—TIMELY WRITER ($3.60), ridden by Jeffrey Fell, defeated Star Gallant by two lengths to win the $250,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park . The 3-year-old colt was timed in 1:49[3/5] for the Wt miles (page 26).

Air Forbes Won ($7), Mike Venezia up, beat odds-on-favorite Shimatoree by 3� lengths to win the $84,600 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old colt covered the mile in 1:35[3/5].

Muttering ($11.80), Laffit Pincay up, won the $301,300 Santa Anita Derby for 3-year-olds by a nose over fast-closing Prince Spellbound. The colt covered the 1? miles in 1:47[3/5].

MOTOR SPORTS—NIKI LAUDA drove a McLaren to victory in the Grand Prix of Long Beach , Calif. , averaging 81.4 mph over the 2.13-mile circuit. He beat Keke Rosberg of Finland , driving a Williams, by 14.66 seconds.