Lakers Finally Look at Home on the ‘Road’ : They End Losing Streak by Beating Clippers, 116-95

There might as well have been a giant magnifying glass over the Sports Arena Sunday afternoon, for all the microscopic analysis that was going on during the Lakers’ 116-95 victory over the Clippers.

Amid the people-watching, matinee style, the focus of attention from the crowd of the 15,352 belonged to:

--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his 2-week evaluation period to remain the Laker starting center.

--Gene Shue and his daily evaluation period to remain as Clipper coach.

--Streaks, on both sides.

As for the latter, the Lakers (24-12) won on the road for the first time after 8 straight defeats, a skid that had dragged out since Dec. 13. Meanwhile, the Clippers (10-26) suffered their ninth consecutive loss and 20th in 24 games.

Abdul-Jabbar was hardly the key, but his second-half play inside, when the Lakers turned a modest 65-57 halftime lead into an eventual 22-point cushion, was another bright spot for Laker Coach Pat Riley.

The much-scrutinized center, who came in averaging 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, finished at 12 and 5, respectively, while tying his season-high in minutes played, 31. He scored 10 of the points, on 5-of-10 shooting, and got all 5 rebounds in his 18 second-half minutes.

“I feel a lot better now,” Abdul-Jabbar said of his shooting touch. “I feel my shots will go in. Before, they just flew out of my hands.

“I can play the minutes, physically. Mentally, I think I’ve come up a step or two and I think I’ve been improving. I just haven’t been used to being part of the offense.

“It’s not going to come back exactly when I (get the minutes). But I think I’m approaching it. Another game or so and I’ll be OK.”

Which is more than can be said for the Clippers.

With Shue’s job possibly hanging in the balance--even though team owner Donald T. Sterling was out of town and president Alan Rothenberg was at home ill--the Clippers played well enough in the first half before the Lakers made it a rout.

Actually, the Clippers played well above their recent standards in the first half, shooting 60.5% from the field, to trail by eight points. That they were falling behind, though playing good, said plenty about how the Lakers looked.

“It means we were playing against the world champions,” said Clipper guard Quintin Dailey, who scored 20 of his team-high 24 points in the first half. “We turned the ball over in key situations. And when you do that against the Lakers, they’re off to the races.”

Said Shue, who may have coached his last game at the Sports Arena with the Clippers: “I thought the Lakers played great. In the first half, we played very, very well. As a matter of fact, I don’t think we could play much better.”

The Laker lead increased steadily in the second half, to 20 points, then to 21 and, finally, to 22, at 115-93, on Mark McNamara’s layin with 48 seconds to play. Along the way, the Clippers had only 35 rebounds, a season low and an abysmal number by any standard. The Lakers had 53.

Benoit Benjamin had 13 rebounds and 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. It was his fourth straight game of double-figure rebounds, and he is also averaging 16.8 points in the last 4 games.

“I think I’m getting back to the way I’m capable of playing,” said Benjamin, who, for a change, is not one of the subjects under the microscope. “I was getting shifted around (between being a starter and a reserve), but now I’m coming back to where I was before being benched.”

The Lakers looked like the Lakers of old on the road.

The victory was their second straight impressive performance. Last Friday in the Forum, they defeated Cleveland, the team with the National Basketball Assn.’s best record, 116-95.

Five players scored in double figures against the Clippers, led by Byron Scott’s 28 points, Magic Johnson’s 22 (and 12 assists) and James Worthy’s 21.

Laker-Clipper Notes

Clipper guard Gary Grant missed his second straight game with a bruised right thigh. His status for Tuesday’s game at Seattle is uncertain. . . . Tom Garrick, who has seen time at point guard with Grant’s injury and inconsistent play, sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and did not return. X-rays will be taken today as a precautionary move, but his availability for the game against the SuperSonics is also unknown. . . . After a career high in points (35) and rebounds (20) in Friday’s loss to Golden State, Clipper forward Ken Norman set another career best against the Lakers with 7 assists. . . . Laker Mychal Thompson, on this “road” game: “It was rough. There was adversity. I was hitting every light coming here. I couldn’t believe it. A couple of police cars came flashing by, and I don’t know what. . . . The scariest part is that I’ve got to drive back.”