Lakers Again Make Defenseless Dallas Look Just Awe-Full

Having failed to show a single shred of evidence that they have any better ideas, the Dallas Mavericks might want to send out a search party in hopes of rounding up Too Tall Jones, Bob Lilly and Randy White.

A little Doomsday Defense, the way it once was practiced by the football Cowboys, might come in a little handy right now against the Lakers, instead of the matador variety practiced by the Mavericks so far in the National Basketball Assn. Western Conference finals.

Short of gang tackling, there may be no other way for the Mavericks to fend off the head of steam the Lakers built Wednesday night in the Forum with a 123-101 win that gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Byron Scott scored 30 points, one shy of his career playoff high, and the Lakers shot a sizzling 61.5% to put away the Mavericks, who once again offered token resistance after vowing to play a more physical style of game than they did in Game 1’s 15-point Laker blowout.

“We took a lickin’--it’s simple as that,” said Maverick owner Donald Carter, who probably would have liked to crawl inside his 10-gallon hat after watching his team taken to the woodshed once again.

The next two games of the series will be in Dallas’ Reunion Arena, where the crowd is “rabid,” according to Laker Coach Pat Riley. Maybe if there were a little more mad dog in the Mavericks, they wouldn’t be in the position they’re in now. And what position is that?

“Sitting on the back of our heels in awe of them,” said Dallas center James Donaldson, who has become the shortest 7-foot 2-inch person on earth by following in the even larger footsteps of 7-4 Mark Eaton.

“And we can’t be doing that,” Donaldson said. “I think they know in their minds they can beat us. This isn’t an excuse, but they’ve caught us on many a night when we’re not playing as well as we can play.

“We have to come out and prove it, that we can play as well as we can possibly play, and then see if they can beat us. No more words, no more talk, just go out and do it. And we haven’t done that yet.”

There’s no need to consult your thesaurus for a few words to describe the way the Lakers are playing in this series. Not when Mychal Thompson is around.

Asked why the Mavericks didn’t make a tougher stand, Thompson said: “Because we wouldn’t let ‘em. . . . When the Lakers make up their minds to do something, we’re like congressmen, we get it done.”

And unlike President Reagan, Dallas Coach John MacLeod has no veto power to nullify Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 19 points in just 24 minutes, a team-high 7 rebounds, and a Magic-like no-look pass on a give-and-go that resulted in a rare Magic Johnson jam. There was no re-count to stop Johnson, who had 15 points and 19 assists, and 2 three-point baskets. No Secret Service to tail Scott, who had 21 points in the first half alone, then nailed a three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to open a 89-70 Laker lead.

“We came out and right off the bat our defense was suffering,” Donaldson said. “I don’t know what caused our indecision. We know we’re supposed to rotate, to help out, to pick up the driver, and we flat out didn’t do it until the second half.

“By then, the Lakers had all the confidence in the world. A.C. Green was shooting way out, Mychal Thompson was running the floor and dunking at will, Kareem was sprinting along. Everybody.”

And when Donaldson says everybody, he wasn’t exaggerating. Even Milt Wagner got to score the first playoff points of his brief career as Riley cleared his bench.

Riley, of course, was trying to play these one-sided wins as close to the vest as possible, which is tough considering he never wears a three-piece suit.

“It’s academic and trivial to say, but all we’ve done is win two games,” said Riley, who then recalled his team’s ’86 Western Conference semifinal series with the Mavericks. “Two years ago, we won the first two and then they won two (in Dallas).”

Unless the Mavericks find a way to cool off Scott, however, it’ll be just as academic for the Lakers to count to four, then await the survivor of the Boston Celtics-Detroit Pistons series. Scott, who sliced and diced the Dallas defense for an average of 29.5 points a game during the regular season, is clearly out-campaigning Rolando Blackman in the balloting for best off-guard in the West, even if it’s a vote being taken only in Scott’s mind.

“I don’t know how a man could play any better,” said Johnson, who has elevated his own game ever since he discovered that by showing up and running a couple of hours before game time, he could get his groin much looser than it has been for the last two months.

Once upon a time--try last season--people were still saying Scott was an even bet to vanish in the playoffs.

“That’s just the Boston writers saying that,” Thompson said. “And don’t ever believe what the Boston writers are saying.

“Byron has a beautiful wife, good-looking children, a great home and he’s playing for a new contract. He’s got plenty of incentive.”

Scott is averaging 26.5 points, 6 assists and 4 steals in this series while shooting 58.1%. Blackman is averaging 16 points, 3.5 assists, 1 steal and is shooting 48.3%.

Blackman’s backcourt partner, Derek Harper, isn’t faring much better. Harper had just 6 points on 3-of-9 shooting and 8 assists Wednesday night. The Mavericks’ only offensive weapon was Mark Aguirre, who had 28 points but was a non-factor when the Lakers blew the game open in the third quarter, expanding their 11-point halftime lead to 19. Roy Tarpley had 13 rebounds but just 8 points.

“It’s a matter of competing,” Donaldson said. “We’re disappointed and frustrated we haven’t played better. The Lakers are great--you’ve got to give them their due.

“We say we can play better, but until we do it, we’re not going to win.”

Laker Notes

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been sued by the Italian tourist who claimed the Laker center shoved his camera into his face in an incident in a Phoenix shopping mall. Fernando Nicolia, 40, filed the suit for unspecified damages in Maricopa County Superior Court. Abdul-Jabbar’s attorney, Leonard Armato, called the suit “nuisance litigation.” Said Armato: “It appears to be a case about a dropped camera.” The incident took place April 21, on the afternoon before the Lakers played the Suns. Abdul-Jabbar flew home the night of the incident and did not play in the game. . . . Danny Manning, who was in town to be introduced by the lottery-winning Clippers, was a courtside spectator. . . . Baltimore Orioles Manager Frank Robinson, a longtime Laker season ticket-holder, also was in attendance, the first time in 19 seasons he has been here for a playoff game, he said. The Orioles are in town to play the Angels. . . . Janice Wise, the Lakers’ public relations assistant, gave birth to an as-yet unnamed baby girl Tuesday morning. The child is the second daughter for Wise and her husband, Renal.