A TWILIGHT ZONE : Riley Claims Jazz Defense Was Illegal

Before finally flipping off his videotape machine around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Pat Riley concluded that the Utah Jazz cheated their way to a 101-97 win over the Lakers just hours before.

The Laker coach never actually used that word, but after meeting with the team later that morning, Riley told reporters that he had stopped counting after witnessing “21 blatant illegal defenses” used by Utah.

Riley said the Jazz played a zone defense, with 7-foot 4-inch center Mark Eaton ignoring his man and remaining in the lane.

“Our frustration, more than anything else, came from attacking an illegal defense,” Riley said. “(Eaton) definitely presents a major problem when he’s legal. But the guidelines (for a legal defense) right now are definitely being abused.

“That’s not a complaint, that’s a reality. . . . I know that sounds like sour grapes, but that’s the reality. If anyone wants to watch film with me for an hour or two to see for themselves, they’re invited.”

The officials who worked Tuesday’s game, Bruce Alexander and Joe Crawford, called the Jazz twice for illegal defense violations, the second resulting in an automatic technical foul. They also whistled the Lakers for three such violations, the last coming with 52 seconds to play and Utah holding a three-point lead, 91-88.

It was a critical call. John Stockton converted the free throw, then 10 seconds later, Karl Malone took a pass from Stockton and jammed home a basket that gave the Jazz a 94-88 edge, doubling their lead of just moments before.

Riley said the call was correct. “(Michael) Cooper anticipated a pass and went to double-team (Thurl) Bailey in the post,” Riley said.

In the National Basketball Assn., it’s illegal to double-team a player who doesn’t have the ball.

But the Lakers were handicapped all night, Riley said, when officials gave Eaton license to set up underneath the basket. Eaton blocked seven shots, all in the first half, and disrupted the Laker offense so badly that the Lakers shot just 40.2%. Riley’s figures showed that the Lakers made just 11 of 42 shots from the lane, not counting layups.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the worst time of it, making 3 of 13 shots, but James Worthy, who sank 7 of 16, and Magic Johnson, who hit 7 of 15, didn’t fare much better. Abdul-Jabbar is shooting 37% in the first two games, with Worthy at 47.1%. Johnson had as many turnovers in the first half, four, as assists.

“We’ve got to get (Eaton) out of there,” Riley said. “We worked to do things to get him out of there. . . . They just squashed our talent, which is to post up Kareem, James and Earvin. They would not let us swing into the lane.”

Riley said he has not complained this pointedly about officiating since the Lakers-Philadelphia 76ers playoff finals in 1983, when he was fined $3,000 after a game in which the Lakers did not shoot a free throw in the second half.

There are ways the Lakers can counteract the Utah “zone,” if the officials continue to ignore it, according to Riley, who said the team sent a film of the game to the league office.

“With our break, with great defense, with high-percentage basket opportunities, with our shooting from outside,” Riley said. “You’ve all watched college basketball; that’s it. The only thing is, we have a 24-second clock, which gives it a sense of urgency. The shot clock was designed for something else.”

He also gave the Jazz some credit for outplaying the Lakers. “We didn’t play well enough in enough areas to win the game,” he said. “ . . . We did not have one player have what I consider a good complete game.

“(The Jazz) didn’t make a better effort or outhustle us, they just played a better game.”

Laker Notes

Michael Cooper, who said he wouldn’t have voted for himself, was named to the NBA’s all-defensive team for the eighth straight season. Cooper was joined by Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon and Rodney McCray, Chicago’s Michael Jordan and Boston’s Kevin McHale on the first team. “It’s an honor, but I don’t think I would have voted for me simply because of the number of games I missed,” said Cooper, who sat out 20 because of an ankle injury. “A lot of guys made good showings.” Cooper, who was defensive player of the year last season, doesn’t expect to win again this season but made it clear that Jordan wouldn’t be his first pick, even though the Bulls’ guard led the league in steals. To Cooper, steals alone doesn’t determine a player’s defensive prowess.