Abdul-Jabbar, Referees Make It Easy for L.A. : Lakers Cash In 36 Free Throws in 119-110 Win Over the Jazz

There was an upset Tuesday night in the Forum. No, the Lakers didn’t lose, but the way their game went with the Utah Jazz, this is even more surprising.

Maurice Lucas had just one foul.

“I loved it--I thought it was a wonderful game,” said Lucas, sometimes called the Human Elbow, who seems to pick up a couple of fouls by the time he’s introduced.

Lucas was one of the few who considered the Lakers’ 119-110 victory over the Jazz a thing of beauty. Laker Coach Pat Riley was another, so he voiced the minority opinion.

“I thought it was a Michelangelo,” he said.

It wasn’t even close to that. This game was ugly to the bone, its good looks marred by so many Jazz personal fouls and so many Laker free throws that Utah Coach Frank Layden found it necessary to get thrown out in the fourth quarter just so he didn’t have to see any more of it.

“I was glad I left,” Layden said. “I watched the rest of the game on television. That way I didn’t have to see any of that live.”

If Layden had lingered a bit longer, he could have seen the Lakers put the finishing touches on a 36-point explosion at the free-throw line. The Lakers shot 43 free throws, which meant they won even though they had six fewer field goals than Utah.

Perhaps this is what Kurt Rambis meant when he expressed his opinion on the style of the game.

“Boring,” Rambis said. “As far as I’m concerned, when we don’t fast break, it’s boring.”

Forced to play a slow down, half-court game because of a pack-it-in Jazz defense, the Lakers got 25 points from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, plus 21 points and 7 rebounds from Lucas, who wasn’t picky about style points.

“It doesn’t matter how you win,” Lucas said. “There are a lot of teams that would love to win ugly.”

The Lakers survived even though they scored just one field goal the first eight minutes of the second half. That’s because they got 18 points on free throws in the quarter.

Adrian Dantley broke loose for 36 points and spent some time camping out at the free-throw line himself. Dantley was 10 for 13 from the line and 13 for 18 elsewhere, but none of that mattered because the Lakers proved beyond any doubt they could shoot free throws.

Even when they missed them, it still turned out all right. The Jazz was still lurking close by, trailing only 107-102 with 4:06 left, when Abdul-Jabbar went to the line and immediately shanked both of his free throws.

Rambis was right there to grab the rebound, and he got the ball back to Kareem, who was fouled again. Abdul-Jabbar made them both this time, but perhaps more vital to the outcome of the game, the foul had been the sixth on Mark Eaton.

The Laker lead was still five points, 111-106, when Rambis rebounded Magic Johnson’s missed shot and put the ball back in the hoop with 2:16 left. By the time Michael Cooper drew a charging foul on Dantley, the Lakers were safe at home.

It was encouraging to the Lakers that they could win on a night when their fast break became a slow break or no break at all. To be sure, the Jazz got few breaks from the officials Bruce Alexander and Hue Hollins, and they’re sure going to need some breaks if they are to keep Eaton on the floor.

Without Eaton, the Jazz has very little chance of beating the Lakers, but their 7-4 center has played just 26 and 29 minutes in two games against the Lakers this season, fouling out both times.

Thurl Bailey gave the Lakers trouble once again with 18 points off the bench, but with Abdul-Jabbar scoring 21 of his points in the second half and Mitch Kupchak working the backboards with A.C. Green, the Lakers more than compensated.

Kupchak had four offensive rebounds in the first half, when it became quite clear that this would be a half-court game, while Green had eight rebounds, four at each end.

Boring or not, Riley said he was glad that the Lakers can play up-tempo or slow down, whatever style of game is necessary.

“The running game is what people expect and want to see,” he said. “But that just won’t happen for 82 games. We weren’t at our fleet-footed best, but some nights you just have to grind it out.”

Laker Notes

Byron Scott strained his left hamstring after 12 minutes of action and will be re-examined today . . . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s fourth assist moved him over the 5,000 mark for his career, the most of any center in NBA history. . . . The Lakers 7-1 start ties their best start ever.