Lakers, in Good Hands With Cooper, Win in Atlanta

Leave it to an assistant coach to imagine the inconceivable: Magic Johnson missing two free throws in a row when it’s winnin’ time--eight seconds left and the Lakers holding onto a one-point lead over the Hawks.

It makes you wonder what other doomsday visions Laker assistant Randy Pfund has. Pat Riley coaching a game in Bermuda shorts? The Laker girls running off to a nunnery? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar riding a Harley?

But as it turned out, a Pfunny feeling may have saved the Lakers’ 112-109 win over Atlanta Wednesday night, almost as much as Michael Cooper’s rebound when Magic did indeed do the unthinkable, misfiring twice.

Cooper then took Magic off the hook even further, hitting his only two free throws of the night with three seconds left, leaving Atlanta no recourse but to send up a prayer from three-point land--Dominique Wilkins’ off-balance jumper that bounced high off the backboard and harmlessly away.

“Randy Pfund made certain that we put Kareem on the boards in case Magic missed,” said Riley, who departed from his usual practice of allowing Abdul-Jabbar to walk to the other end of the court when a Laker is at the line.

When Abdul-Jabbar stationed himself on one side of the lane, Atlanta’s 7-foot forward, Kevin Willis, crossed over to keep him company. If Willis had stayed put, chances are that the rebound would have ended up in his hands. Enough other rebounds did--14 in all--and Willis also did some moonlighting, too, scoring a game-high 35 points.

But instead, the ball bounced out long, Magic punched it out of the grasp of two smaller Hawks, and Cooper put it on a leash.

“I’m glad I knocked it out of their hands,” Johnson said, “because I didn’t want to feel heartbroken about losing when I missed two free throws. I’m just happy Coop stayed where he stayed.”

The Hawks, the only team that has beaten the Lakers at the Forum, would have preferred that the Lakers maintain the position they were in during the first half, when they twice fell behind by 13 points. The second time occurred at 46-33 following a dunk by Wilkins, whose Human Highlight Film underwent some heavy editing because of a strained right knee he suffered three days earlier.

Wilkins still scored 29 points, but there were none of his usual, stick-that-in-your-popcorn jams and sky walks.

“In L.A. when he was making that little turnaround jumper, I was looking at his waistline,” Cooper said. “Tonight, I was up at his chest.”

When the Lakers ran off the last eight points of the half to draw within two at 60-58, it was only a matter of time before they were eyeballing the Hawks. James Worthy, who scored a team-high 27 points, gave the Lakers their first lead of the second half, 75-74, with a fast-break basket off a lead pass from Magic.

Neither team could pull ahead by more than four, and the Hawks were still within one, 87-86, when the fourth quarter began.

But something was missing from the Atlanta skyline--Tree Rollins, who got in the game only long enough to plant himself in deep foul trouble--5 fouls, which limited him to 11 minutes, 2 points and a single rebound. In a game of constant whistles--there were 56 fouls in all, with the Lakers scoring 36 points from the line to 23 for the Hawks--Tree stood out.

“This was the most physical game we’ve been in all year,” Riley said.

Tree’s backup, Jon Koncak, grabbed 14 rebounds, matching Willis’ game-high total, but he also missed all 9 shots that he attempted.

“I put some good defense on him,” said Abdul-Jabbar, who made 10 of his 14 shots and scored 26 points, “but he took a lot of his stuff from outside, and I laid off him. He should have made some of those.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers made their move, outscoring the Hawks, 11-1, to take a 105-97 lead with 4:37 left.

The Lakers were leading, 97-96, when ex-Laker Mike McGee missed a hurried three-pointer, and Cooper whipped a pass to Byron Scott in the corner, from where he buried a three-pointer.

Wilkins made one of two free throws, but the Lakers struck back with three more points on a Magic alley-oop to Abdul-Jabbar, who was fouled by Rollins. Glenn Rivers missed off a drive, and Abdul-Jabbar triggered a Laker fast break that ended with Scott laying off a nifty pass to Cooper trailing the play.

With under three minutes to go, the Hawks drew within a couple of points again, but Worthy tossed in a tough jump hook over Cliff Levingston.

Abdul-Jabbar made three of four free throws in the last 1:11, and then it came down to Cooper’s final rebound and free throws.

“It’s kind of ironic that we won with a rebound when that’s what they’re so strong at,” Cooper said.

Rather, it was a rebound, some luck and a timely offering from Pfund, who is in his first season with the Lakers after spending the last eight as an assistant coach at Westmont College, an NAIA school in Santa Barbara.

“This one took everything we had,” said Riley, whose team has won five straight, including three in a row on the road.

“Atlanta definitely has great talent. The question is whether the team is mature enough to win. They’re certainly great enough.”

Laker Notes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was not selected to join teammates Magic Johnson and James Worthy as starters for the NBA Western Conference All-Stars, said he didn’t mind that Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon was chosen instead. “That’s a great team,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It’s an honor to go (even as a reserve). By picking Olajuwon, they certainly picked a great man. No hard feelings from me.” . . . Michael Cooper and Byron Scott are taking part in the long-distance shooting contest, which was won by Larry Bird last season. Cooper becomes the first NBA player to compete in both the slam-dunk competition and the long-distance shootout. . . . The Lakers held Atlanta to a 41.2% shooting night, although the Hawks did score five more baskets, 42 to 37. . . . Ex-Laker Mike McGee, who had averaged 26 points in his last three games, all of which he started, had just 2 points against the Lakers, making just 1 of 7 shots. . . . Gus Williams, the former Bullet who signed with the Hawks as a free agent Jan. 6, had his best night as a Hawk, getting 10 points, including two three-pointers, and 4 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal and no turnovers in 23 minutes. . . . Atlanta Coach Mike Fratello on the Hawks: “We’re still a very young team, going through growing pains. It’s like with your sons and daughters. You tell them don’t put your hand on the stove or you’re going to get burned. They get burned. They’ll still test you and try you, but we’re putting this group together as a team.”