Lakers Lose Second Game in a Row : Still, There Is Little Concern as the Regular Season Ends

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skipped the last night of the Lakers’ six-month dress rehearsal, which ended with two consecutive losses, the last a 110-104 defeat to the Seattle SuperSonics Sunday at the Forum.

Abdul-Jabbar’s understudy, Mychal Thompson, tuned up for the playoffs with 24 points and 12 rebounds, numbers better than any he’s posted since coming to the Lakers in February.

The Lakers finished the regular season with the second-best record in their history--65-17--and open the playoffs here Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, a team they beat five times in the regular season by an average of 22 points a game.

They’re trying hard not to be smug about it, but obviously they like their chances. Especially Thompson, who’s on a playoff favorite for the first time in his National Basketball Assn. career.

“This year I feel like the United States Army going against Libya,” Thompson said. “Last year, I felt like Libya.”

Sunday, the Lakers didn’t feel like playing Abdul-Jabbar, who dressed for the game but remained on the bench throughout. The official reason given for his absence was tendinitis in his left knee, but no one expects the condition to continue through Thursday.

The second game of the best-of-five first-round match is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Forum, with games three and four to be played in Denver on April 29 and May 1 (if necessary).

In the last three years, the Lakers haven’t been extended beyond three games in the first round, winning nine straight by an average of 20 points a game.

Seattle, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a 39-43 record and will face Dallas, the Midwest Division champion, in the first round.

The SuperSonics trailed the Lakers by nine at the half, 59-50, but became the first Pacific Division team to beat the Lakers in 16 games at home behind 39 points by forward Xavier McDaniel.

Byron Scott had 25 points for the Lakers, including three of three from beyond the three-point line, but backcourt mates Magic Johnson suffered through dreadful shooting nights. Johnson made only 7 of 27 shots while Cooper misfired on all seven of his attempts and did not score.

Don’t expect the Lakers to lose any sleep over this one, however.

“After we put our heads on our pillows, we’ll wake up with a fresh new attitude,” Thompson said. “We’ll start to work all over again.”

Now, of course, is the time the Lakers expect a payoff from Thompson, who is expected to play a pivotal role as backup to the 40-year-old Abdul-Jabbar.

“It’s going to be up to him to step forward and do what they ask him to do,” said Seattle forward Maurice Lucas, who was let go by the Lakers when he apparently fell short of their expectations last season, when they lost to Houston in the Western Conference finals.

Thompson expects nothing less of himself. And there are others who hold similar expectations of him.

“If we don’t win, it’s going to be a long summer,” he said. “Especially back home in the Bahamas. If we don’t win, my people won’t let me back in the country. They’ll probably revoke my visa.”

But Thompson dismisses the notion that he is the key to the Lakers’ playoff chances.

“I think the four of us off the bench--Kurt Rambis, myself, Michael Cooper and Billy Thompson--are going to have to give strong efforts every night,” he said.

Against the Nuggets, who like to match the Lakers’ running game step by step, Thompson may seek outside help.

“It’s going to be a track meet,” he said. “I’m thinking about signing Carl Lewis and a few other sprinters.”

The Lakers’ perfect record on Sunday ended after 16 straight wins. They also saw their 15-game home-court winning streak come to an end, which left them with a 37-4 record at the Forum, equaling a club record.

The Lakers did, however, set club records for three-point shooting: attempts (447), shots made (164) and percentage (.367). They also set a team record for free-throw percentage (.789).

Individual team records were set by Magic Johnson in assists (977), Scott in three-point percentage (.436) and free-throw percentage (89.2), Cooper in three-pointers made (89) and attempted (231).