Notebook : K.C. Jones Salutes the Lakers, Questions Work of the Officials

Boston Celtic Coach K.C. Jones gave due credit to the Lakers for their 107-106 victory Tuesday night, but he ripped veteran referee Earl Strom.

“You have to credit the Lakers, they played one fantastic game,” Jones said holding back his disappointment after the Lakers took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven National Basketball Assn. championship series on a hook shot by Magic Johnson with two seconds to play.

Then, Jones sharply criticized the officials for what he called “noncalls.”

“I’m very disappointed in Earl Strom,” Jones said. “I thought he had a Laker uniform on. He’s the No. 1 official in the league, but I’m very disappointed in the non-calls. He did a job on us.”

The home-court advantage didn’t help the Celtics much as far as the officiating was concerned. Strom and Hugh Evans whistled 21 fouls on Boston, five more than were called on Los Angeles. The Lakers went to the free-throw line 32 times, making 23, while the Celtics were 13 of 16.

“I yelled and screamed,” Jones said. “Other than that it was a hell of a game.”

Asked if his comments might cost him money in possible league fines, Jones grinned and said: “I’ll take it all back.”

Laker Coach Pat Riley had no immediate comment on the officiating. However, after the Lakers’ 109-103 loss to the Celtics in Game 3, handled by two other referees, Riley was critical of the inconsistent calling of illegal zone defenses.

Riley called the Lakers’ breakthrough of the home-court advantage for the first time “very emotional.”

“We were fortunate, very fortunate,” Riley said. “You’ve got to have a lot of luck to win this type of game.”

Riley said the Lakers “just didn’t play well in the first three periods.”

“I don’t think we played hard enough. We didn’t play with enough passion. We looked tired for a long time and we appeared frustrated for a long while.”

“We haven’t won anything yet,” warned Johnson, whose only basket of the fourth quarter was the game-winner. “This is just another step. We’re almost there, but not yet.”

Asked about being the first visiting team to win a playoff game and solve the Boston Garden mystique this year, Johnson smiled and said:

“Mystique? We’ll see.”

“What does losing this game mean,” Jones repeated when asked that question. “It means the difference between being 2-2 and down 3-1. It means they just have to win one of three games and we have to win all three games.”

It was shades of Kevin McHale-Kurt Rambis, circa 1984, when Laker forward James Worthy was fouled by Dennis Johnson, then knocked to the floor by Celtic backup center Greg Kite with 15 seconds left in the first half.

Worthy came up swinging and caught the 6-foot 11-inch Kite with a right to the side of his face. Laker Coach Pat Riley jumped in and shoved Kite away, while Boston Coach K.C. Jones also got involved, giving Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a push.

Both Kite and Worthy were given technical fouls; Kite offered his hand to Worthy, but the Laker forward wanted no part of it.

“(Kite) said it was just a hard foul, but being driven to the floor is a different thing,” Worthy said.

“DJ had me by the arms, then Kite hit me full force.”

Said Kite: “I fouled him intentionally but not maliciously, trying to play the percentages. At the same time, DJ got the ball, which caused Worthy to hit the deck pretty hard. He came up pretty upset.”

Worthy also was knocked down by Danny Ainge on another fast break in Game 3 on Sunday. Asked if he thought the Celtics were trying to intimidate him, Worthy--who didn’t score until there was 1:46 left in the half--said:

“That’s one of their tactics. They don’t give up any free layups.”

Riley called Kite’s play a “real cheap shot. DJ was playing the ball, but Kite took both hands and put them on James’ hips while he was up in the air. James could have been hurt seriously.

” . . . I’m not complaining. Take a look at the film and make your own judgments.”

Veteran Celtic broadcaster Johnny Most received a death threat and was flanked by security guards in the press box during the first half, according to one officer who stood by Most.

The NBA would not confirm or deny a threat had been made. Said the league’s assistant director of public relations, Terry Lyons; “We don’t even recognize such things.”

Laker trainer Gary Vitti arranged for the purchase of three air blowers to cool off the visitors’ dressing room in Boston Garden. He said they’re the same blowers used by the Los Angeles Raiders on the sidelines for football games.

“They’ve got a nozzle like an elephant’s trunk that blows out cool air,” assistant coach Randy Pfund said. “We tried to get enough for the whole Garden, but they haven’t made that many yet.”

Two of the Lakers’ most proven postseason performers on another level have yet to see any significant time in the playoffs. They have yet to prove themselves in the NBA.

Billy Thompson led Louisville to the 1986 NCAA title. He hasn’t played since the final first-round game against Denver, when he injured his left knee. He may need surgery this summer.

Fellow forward Adrian Branch has played only during garbage time of the playoffs. He averaged 32.3 points in the Continental Basketball Assn. playoffs in 1986.

Laker officials, unhappy with conditions at the hotel in which the team is staying, held a meeting in which the hotel agreed to stop renovation work until after the team leaves on Friday. Security will also be increased, and the hotel promised speedier room service as well.

Thursday afternoon, someone set off a 30th floor fire alarm, but the hotel announced it was a false alarm before there was any evacuation.

James Worthy, who hit just 6 of 18 shots in Game 3, missed his first 7 shots and didn’t score until 1:46 remained in the first half Tuesday night. But the best percentage shooter in NBA playoff history hit 9 of his last 11 attempts and finished with 21 points.

“I was a little confused in the first half,” Worthy said. “I couldn’t figure out their defense. I realized I couldn’t play with my back to the basket like I had in the first two games. The films at halftime showed me I had to play face up on (Kevin) McHale.”