Lakers Make It 3 Wins in Row Against the Clippers, 123-114

The Lakers knew Kurt Rambis could rebound, but they weren’t sure he could score. At the Forum Tuesday night, Rambis did both and the Lakers defeated the Clippers, 123-114, in front of 15,274 fans.

Rambis had a season-high 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Lakers won for the third straight time since Rambis rejoined the starting lineup.

Improving their record at the Forum to 18-4, the Lakers broke open a close game with a 37-point third quarter to beat the Clippers for the third time in their three meetings this season.

Rambis had 10 rebounds in the third quarter, when the Lakers increased a three-point halftime lead to 90-76.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers with 23 points, while James Worthy and Byron Scott each had 16. Derek Smith scored 20 points to lead the Clippers, who played without injured forward Marques Johnson.

The Lakers put the game out of reach at the start of the fourth quarter when a 95-82 lead ballooned to 107-86 with 7:31 left. Jamaal Wilkes scored eight points in that stretch.

The Clippers, who lost for the 10th consecutive time at the Forum, trailed the Lakers, 53-50, at halftime after scoring the last five points of the second quarter.

The Lakers had an eight-point lead with 3:21 left in the half when Rambis, who scored nine points in the first two periods, made a three-point play.

But the Clippers outscored the Lakers, 9-4, to end the quarter as Norm Nixon made his second three-point shot of the game with three seconds left.

Both teams struggled through the first half, but the Clippers, who were had to go without Johnson because of a sprained ankle, still managed to stay close.

The Lakers held a seven-point lead with 1:45 left in the first quarter when Lancaster Gordon, Nixon and James Donaldson shot the Clippers to within three at 27-24.

When the Lakers were able to come up with only two field goals the last 3:02 of the opening quarter, the Clippers made up lost ground. Nixon’s first three-pointer with two seconds left tied the score at 27 going into the second quarter.

Laker Notes

Bob McAdoo also missed the game because of a bruised left heel. McAdoo, who missed eight games in November with a sprained right knee, said he hurt his heel late in Saturday night’s game at Golden State. . . . Bill Walton played in his 37th consecutive game, the longest streak of Walton’s 11 NBA seasons. Walton was out three full seasons because of injuries, but he has missed only two games this season. . . . In a story in Tuesday’s Times, Chicago attorneys George and Harry Andrews were incorrectly referred to as brothers. Harry Andrews is George Andrews’ uncle.