Another Big Night of Magic : He Leads Lakers to 127-121 Win

The Magic Tour made another stop in the Pacific Northwest, and another sellout crowd was left hoarse and blue. Up here, they’d have much preferred Doug Henning. Or Sonja Henie. Anybody.

What they got was what they saw: Magic Johnson on one of the great rolls of his life.

The night after his 34-13-10 raking of Seattle, Johnson did it again. He hit the Trail Blazers with 35 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Lakers, who have been breaking Trail Blazer boughs for lo, these many years, did it again Friday night. They won, 127-121, before the usual 12,666 disheartened Blazermaniacs at the Coliseum.

For Johnson, it was his ninth triple double of the season and third in a row. Before this streak, he hadn’t had them consecutively all season. He hasn’t had three in a row in more than three seasons.

Are the Lakers relying on him or what?

In one stretch of the third and fourth quarters, when they went ahead to stay, Johnson scored (10) or assisted (6) on 16 of 18 of their points.

Are the Lakers over-relying on him?

“They asked the same question with Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar),” said Coach Pat Riley, who is paid to make sure no one gets over-relied on. “Magic happens to be the greatest player in basketball and that goes with the territory. When you walk out into that fast lane, there aren’t many people there.

“I think what’s important, there are no weaknesses in his personality at all. It would have been an easy thing after that grind-out war (in Seattle) and then traveling, playing against a great team that had been resting for four days, after they gave us that first shot, if everybody had just said let’s go home.

“But Magic won’t let that happen. He’s never ever deferred, looked to James (Worthy) or Kareem. He’s a great leader, a great leader.”

The Trail Blazers could have used some great leadership, too. Down, 118-111, in the last 2:32, they scored three quick baskets to cut it to 118-117 with 1:43 left.

They had a chance to tie with :29 left when the Lakers led by two and Steve Johnson went to the line to shoot two free throws. He made none, but with the 24-second clock still in effect, the Blazers had only to hold the Lakers scoreless to get another chance to tie.

Instead, Jerome Kersey deliberately fouled. Let’s see, if you were going to mess up and foul in the first place, who’s the Laker you’d least want at the line?

How about Magic Johnson, an 85% free throw shooter? That’s who Kersey picked on and that’s who made two free throws with :10 left to ice the game.

Trail Blazer Coach Mike Shuler said later that they didn’t want to foul.

This turned out to be news to Kersey.

“I had to put someone at the line,” he said.

Shuler, whose diminutive size belies his Mad Mike demeanor, spent an anguished second half trying to see if one of his jolly band couldn’t do anything about stopping Johnson. He tried Terry Porter, Jim Paxson, Kersey and, during Magic’s big run, Clyde Drexler, without finding the answer.

Once, when Drexler failed to get over a pick and Johnson was left to shoot, and make an 18-footer, Shuler screamed for a 20-second timeout and climbed on Drexler, big-time. Shortly thereafter, Paxson didn’t call out a pick for Drexler, who was bumped off stride while trying to shadow Magic, and Clyde, just presented with the award as the fans’ choice as most inspirational Trail Blazer, barked at Paxson.

What can anyone do?

With no more franchises in the Northwest to pillage, the Lakers are off to Denver to see what Magic can do to the Rockies.

Laker Notes The game was the first here in a Laker uniform for Mychal Thompson, the popular ex-Trail Blazer. He had 22 points in his 22 minutes and, as he was shooting free throws in the second half, was booed. . . . Thompson, on his biggest surprise since joining the Lakers: “I’d heard they had real easy practices. I’d heard that Pat Riley wasn’t that good a tactician. That’s what you hear around the league: ‘Riley, all he has to do is roll the ball out.’ I found out he’s one of the most prepared and most knowledgeable coaches I’ve had and I ain’t saying that just because I’m here. That goes against the gossip around the league, that he wins just because he has Magic (Johnson) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).” . . . Thompson on Abdul-Jabbar’s acceptance of Johnson’s accession as dominant Laker: “Cap (Abdul-Jabbar) is having a good time. As long as his double-figure streak is going, he doesn’t care. If he scores 10 or 30, he’s happy as long as we win.” And Thompson, on fitting in: “Magic is the chairman of the board. Kareem is the CEO. Me, I’m just a lowly messenger.”