Riley’s Lakers Play Like Millstones in Hearn’s Milestone

Early in the 21st Century, when Chick Hearn is broadcasting his 4,000th consecutive Laker game, someone will ask him to recall game No. 2,000, played here Saturday night.

And you can bet your refrigerator that Hearn will be tempted to borrow the line uttered by that other famous broadcaster from downstate Illinois, Ronald (Dutch) Reagan: “The simple truth is, I don’t remember--period.”

Was it really as bad as that, the Lakers’ 107-100 loss to the Utah Jazz that ended a Laker six-game winning streak before a sellout crowd of 12,212 at the Salt Palace Arena?

Pat Riley seemed to think so. The Laker coach loudly upbraided his team in a voice that clearly penetrated closed locker-room doors. When he’d finished, he came out into the hallway, only to disappear into another room, followed closely by assistant coach Bill Bertka.

When a tight-lipped Riley finally emerged to face reporters, his decibel level had dropped, but the anger level was still top shelf.

“They didn’t respond at all to a big game,” Riley said. “I’m really disappointed in the team. This may have been one of our worst efforts.

“I’m not letting the team off the hook, just because they won six in a row. That’s the attitude that got us beat against Houston last year.”

How can a Saturday night in Salt Lake be construed as big-game territory? To Riley’s thinking, the Lakers were playing two straight potential playoff opponents, the Jazz and Golden State (next Tuesday night), neither of whom the Lakers have beaten on the road this season. Then, eight of their next nine games are at home.

“This was a chance to get in a position to do something good, open up a gap for the best record in the league, and then to play like this . . . “

Just how did the Lakers play?

Well, Utah center Mark Eaton made like a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar--17 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks--while making Abdul-Jabbar look like a young Mark Eaton--3-of-13 shooting, 12 points, 4 turnovers.

“That’s the best game I’ve ever seen Mark Eaton play,” said Utah Coach Frank Layden, who declined to rate Abdul-Jabbar’s performance.

James Worthy scored 8 points in 33 minutes, A.C. Green none in 26. Byron Scott missed 12 of 17 shots.

The Lakers shot 32% in the first quarter, 40% in the third and 40.2% for the game.

If it weren’t for Michael Cooper’s three-point bombs--he made four despite injuring his right thumb in the first half--the Lakers would have been hard-pressed to break 90.

That was the offense. Defensively, Riley said it was worse.

“The team didn’t respond . . . effort plays, long rebounds, loose balls, staying with every possession like we wanted it,” Riley said.

“If I have to drive this team with a whip, drive them and whip them and drive them . . . I’m not going to make that mistake with this club. This was a game I got excited about, and they took all the excitement right out of me.”

It may have been as bad as all that, but the Lakers still had their chances to win this one. The Jazz could have blown them out early but missed a bundle of easy shots, and actually trailed at halftime, 48-46, on Magic Johnson’s driving, left-handed jam over the 7-4 Eaton.

Utah went on an 11-2 run at the start of the third quarter, in which Darrell Griffith hit three three-pointers and Tripucka one, and led, 82-73, entering the final 12 minutes.

The Lakers closed within one, 87-86, on a three-pointer by Cooper with 7:48 to go, but the Jazz quickly got it back to eight as Eaton blocked a layup by Abdul-Jabbar, Rickey Green stole a pass by Magic Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar missed a sky-hook.

The Lakers made one more run, getting within three, 97-94, with 3:48 to go, but Griffith buried another three-pointer from the right side, and John Stockton swiped the ball from Abdul-Jabbar on a double-team that Karl Malone converted into a baseline turn-around.

In the game’s last minute, things turned really ugly when Utah’s Mailman, Karl Malone, sent Scott special delivery, fouling him hard with his body, then seemingly pushing him to the floor. Scott quickly challenged the 6-9 Malone, but other players and the referees intervened.

The Laker guard made the free throws, cutting Utah’s lead to 102-98 with 50 seconds left. But Eaton leveled Magic Johnson with a pick, and Griffith found an opening to drive the lane for a finger-roll basket that cinched it.

As pleased as Utah’s Layden was with the outcome, he was incensed at the loss of guard Bobby Hansen, who suffered a separation of his left shoulder when fouled by A.C. Green on a 2-on-1 fast break in the first half. Hansen is expected to be out from three to six weeks.

“They’re allowing it to go on,” Layden said. “We’ve got to start throwing guys out of games.

“I see Jazz players knocked to the ground and no one seems to care. No one gives a damn about Bobby Hansen, but they (the Lakers) get a guy knocked down, and they want to have a fight.

“It would really be big news if it happened to Michael Jordan or Isiah Thomas.”

Jazz forward Kelly Tripucka, for one, didn’t see the play in quite the same light as his coach.

“Very few times do you see a guy go in and try to hurt somebody,” Tripucka said, “unless a guy has a reputation--and a player like A.C. wouldn’t do that. He seems to be a real quiet guy.

“I think he just caught Bobby up in the air--and anything can happen. It was just a good hard play, the kind that happen in every game.”

The Lakers have to get back to playing their game, Magic Johnson said, adding: “I don’t think we’re playing our style--loosey-goosey, running. We have to go back to that.”

If they don’t, even Hearn might be tempted to turn the dial.

Laker Notes

Michael Cooper said that there may be a partial tear of the ligament in his right thumb, and he plans to have a doctor examine it Monday in L.A. “This hasn’t been my week,” said Cooper, who also took two stitches in the lip Wednesday night against Phoenix. . . . Byron Scott, on the last-minute flareup with Karl Malone: “It isn’t a big thing, but (the push) got me upset, and then he stood over me. I’m not going to be intimidated by anyone.” Malone came over to talk to Scott when the game was over. “Me and Byron get along fine,” he said. “It was a hard and clean play, that’s all.”