No Rest for Weary as Lakers Take On Mavericks Tonight

The defending National Basketball Assn. champion Lakers, extended to seven games in their playoff series against Utah, get only one day off before going back to work.

“I think this may be the first time we’ve ever had a team waiting for us,” said Coach Pat Riley, whose Lakers open the Western Conference best-of-seven final series tonight against the Dallas Mavericks at the Forum.

The Lakers, trying to become the first team in 20 years to win consecutive league titles, have made a habit of breezing through the early playoff rounds.

But the upstart Jazz turned the second-round series into a prolonged, tiring battle, before the Lakers won the seventh game, 109-98, Saturday.

The Mavericks wrapped up their series against Denver in six games last Thursday, and got some time off to prepare the conference showdown against the Lakers.

Game 2 will be Wednesday night at the Forum, with the series then switching to Dallas for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

The winner will advance to the NBA finals against the Eastern Conference champion, either Boston or Detroit.

Dallas general manager Norm Sonju said the time off should help the Mavericks.

“We’ve always gone out there (in previous playoffs) for the first game dead-tired,” he said. “We’re fortunate. If nothing else, (the Lakers) have got to be tired.”

Dallas guard Derek Harper doesn’t think it will make much difference.

“The rest should help us a little, but people will play tired at this point in the playoffs,” Harper said.

“I expect Los Angeles to play great basketball like they’ve always done. We’re the underdog, so that’s a little advantage.

“It’s going to be important for us to stay confident, regardless of what happens in the first two games.”

The Lakers, by virtue of their 62-20 regular-season record that was the league’s best, own the homecourt advantage for the series. Dallas had a 53-29 record this season.

Although Dallas has been playing well, Coach John MacLeod said it will take an even better performance for the Mavericks to beat the Lakers--and he thinks his club can play better.

“We’ve done some good things but we haven’t hit stride yet,” he said. “We haven’t maxed out. We still haven’t put it all together, where everybody’s playing well at once.”

Michael Cooper, the Lakers’ sixth man, said keeping the Mavericks’ guards in check is the most important thing the Lakers have to do.

“The key to Dallas is to control Harper, then (Rolando) Blackman,” Cooper said.

“And you can forget the regular season series (the Lakers held a 4-1 edge). It starts all over again now.”

Although the Lakers had trouble against the underdog Jazz, MacLeod said he doesn’t think they are struggling.

“I don’t think they’ll be flat at all,” he said. “They’ve been through numerous situations and then responded very well. I think our guys will, too.

“The Lakers still are the best team. Their record indicates it. They’re the favorite until someone dethrones them.”

In the seventh game victory over the Jazz, Byron Scott scored 29 points for the Lakers, Magic Johnson had 23 points and 16 assists, and James Worthy collected 23 points.