It Was Not Until After the Game That Magic Was Caught in a Trap

For 20 minutes after the Lakers’ 139-120 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night at the Forum, about 25 reporters waited for Magic Johnson to emerge from the trainer’s room, where he was undergoing treatment for a minor thigh injury.

When Johnson finally ducked his head and limped out of the trainer’s room, he found it extremely difficult to make it to his locker--because of the crowd, not the thigh.

Fortunately for the Lakers, there wasn’t nearly that much congestion in the lane when Johnson split Portland’s half-court zone trap and made his solo forays to the basket. If there had been, it probably wouldn’t have been quite as easy for the Lakers to eliminate the Trail Blazers in Tuesday’s fifth game.

“Driven isn’t the word for what Magic did out there,” Laker Coach Pat Riley said. “He was like a Mack truck finding his way through the open lane. When he drives the lane and penetrates, it benefits our perimeter shooters like (Bob) McAdoo and (Byron) Scott. Magic’s great at finding the open man.”

On this night, however, Johnson often found that the open man was himself. In what would have to rate as his best overall game of the playoffs, Johnson had 34 points, 19 assists and 9 rebounds to almost single-handedly defuse the Trail Blazers’ zone trap, which had befuddled the Lakers in Sunday’s loss at Portland.

Johnson’s 19 assists gave him 85 against the Trail Blazers, an NBA record for a five-game series. That made it three playoff records Johnson has set in only eight playoff games. None of that was important to Johnson, though. All he wanted to do was eliminate the Trail Blazers.

“We really wanted to end the series tonight,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say that I was more motivated tonight. I was just more involved in the offense than in any other game in this series or the (rest of) the playoffs. I just felt I had to go to the hole a little more. It was just one of those games.”

Four things usually happen, three of them good for the Lakers, when Johnson drives the lane: (1) he goes all the way for a layup or dunk; (2) he lures the defense toward him and passes to an open teammate; (3) he draws a foul or (4) he commits a turnover.

Since Johnson committed only four turnovers Tuesday night, he spent the rest of his time choosing from the other three options.

“He reads the situation so well,” Riley said. “Tonight, with their trap, Magic knew he had to break it, and the way to do that is to take it right at them. Our plan was that after the first two passes on the trap, take it to the hoop. He’s a guy who sort of dictates the tempo.”

Sort of?

It was obvious the Trail Blazers didn’t know how to stop Magic, so they left their defensive assignments to help. That enabled McAdoo to score 20 points in 25 minutes, Worthy to score 18 and Scott to add 16.

When Johnson didn’t score himself or feed a teammate, he was fouled. He made 16 of 17 free-throw attempts.

“Everybody focuses on Magic,” Worthy said. “It’s easy to get open when he has the ball because players leave their man to try and stop him. That makes it easy for us.”

Said Johnson: “I just play my role, that’s all. I can play two roles. If it’s going to the hoop, fine. If it’s making a pass or setting it up, fine. Whatever works. The main thing tonight was going to the hoop.

“Maybe I started doing it a little later than I should have Sunday (in Game 4 at Portland). Going to the hole is the way to beat the trap.”

One hazard of venturing into the lane is flying legs, arms and elbows. But Johnson’s right thigh injury occurred near the top of the key early in the fourth quarter when he collided with Jerome Kersey, who kneed him in the thigh. Johnson was temporarily hobbled, but quickly returned to action.

Afterward, though, the thigh became more sore, and Johnson was sent for treatment. The injury is not expected to be serious, at least that’s what Johnson is hoping.

“The main thing is how it feels in the morning,” Johnson said. “He (Kersey) kneed me right in the muscle. I was still able to play, so it wasn’t that bad.”

With that, Johnson smiled. His thigh may have been sore, but it was obvious the rest of him felt great.