Lakers Reach a High (145 Points) Against the Lowest (Warriors)

The Lakers established a season-high against the season’s low team Wednesday night. They won in a walk and also in a run, 145-119, over the Golden State Warriors.

For the Lakers, it was a night to remember, at least for a little while. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 23 points to move within one game of 600 consecutive games for scoring in double figures.

Meanwhile, another Laker center scored a notable single single. Chuck Nevitt, the 7-5 beanpole, who was signed to a 10-day contract Tuesday, scored one point during the Laker stampede after he entered the game to the Forum crowd’s chant of Nev-itt, Nev-itt.

Was he nervous?

“No, “ Nevitt said. “I was terrified.”

Certainly, there was nothing scary about playing the Warriors, who lost their 46th game in 62.

“They beat you on the boards, they beat you with their hands and they beat you with their feet,” Warrior Coach John Bach said of the Lakers.

The Lakers’ 145 points were the most they had scored this season, breaking their old record of 144, which they also set against the Warriors on Oct. 30.

In their three games against the Warriors at the Forum, the Lakers averaged 140 points.

Abdul-Jabbar played only 29 minutes in the lopsided victory, but Laker Coach Pat Riley didn’t need to use him any more. That’s because the Lakers got a scoring boost from Mike McGee (29 points) and Larry Spriggs (20 points).

Add to that Ronnie Lester’s 10 assists in a season-high 21 minutes and you have all the ingredients of a laugher. Abdul-Jabbar said it didn’t come easy, though.

“They’ve been struggling so much, it was kind of hard to get into a game like this,” he said.

Even so, the Lakers seemed to be on their way to a runaway by halftime. They led the Warriors, 64-51, and most of the margin was made in the second quarter after both Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper sat down with three fouls.

The Warriors couldn’t slow the Lakers much, but 15 turnovers did. Three minutes into the second quarter, the Lakers were slogging along with a 34-34 tie when Johnson was called for his third foul.

Lester replaced Johnson, and the Lakers quickly scored 10 consecutive points with Mike McGee, Cooper’s replacement, getting the first six.

Lester, who has spent much of the season on the bench, made the most of his playing time. He finished the first half with six assists in 10 minutes, and the Lakers suddenly found themselves with a 56-41 lead.

The rest was easy. It was over long before Nevitt entered the game, to a loud ovation from the crowd of 15,371, with the Lakers ahead by 24 points.

Very little went right for the Warriors, who closed within five points early in the third quarter, only to fall behind again, 99-83, as they entered the fourth.

But that didn’t seem to be the worst part. It appeared to have come earlier. Warrior rookie guard Steve Burtt left the game in the first half, carried off the court on a stretcher.

Burtt was taken to Centinela Hospital Medical Center to be treated for what was at first thought to be a broken left ankle, but X-rays showed a sprain instead.

For the Warriors, that was their best news of the night.