Suns Make Lakers See Light, 114-97 : Loss to Phoenix Forces L.A. to Take Second Look at Divisional Standings

A player can pick up any sports section and find the National Basketball Assn. standings broken down in enough detail to outlast his breakfast.

For those who don’t read newspapers, the standings can also be found in the widely distributed press notes before each game.

But when Laker Coach Pat Riley held a pop quiz a few days ago, asking players to name the teams, along with their records, closely trailing them in the Pacific Division, he said he nearly stumped the entire team.

“Only one guy knew the record of our competition,” Riley said. “One guy didn’t even know our record. I told them, you better get used to knowing them.”

The Lakers must know now, after being routed, 114-97, by the Phoenix Suns, their closest divisional rival, here Wednesday night before a crowd of 14,471. A second-quarter dive, in which the Lakers totaled 11 points and made only one field goal in the final 9:20, has a way of pounding home the point.

They say they know that the Suns will not go away. Or, if they do, another Pacific Division team, such as Seattle SuperSonics or Portland Trail Blazers, will be invading the comfort zone they have enjoyed for so long in the division.

The Suns’ victory, which denied the Lakers a 3-game sweep on this trip, pulled them as close to the Lakers as any team has been in a month. With a 30-14 record, the Lakers lead Phoenix (27-15) by 2 games and Seattle (26-15) by 2 1/2.

Indeed, the competition is forcing the Lakers, coming off 2 blowout victories in Texas, to take notice.

“They’ve created the challenge for us now,” said Magic Johnson, who had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists despite making just 5 of 16 shots. “We are going to respond. It’s a very tough division, almost top to bottom. Almost. We haven’t been in a dogfight (such as this) since my first 2 years, when Seattle and Phoenix were after us then, too.”

Dogfight was the catch phrase heard throughout the Laker locker room. But, as Mychal Thompson pointed out, “Tonight, the emphasis was on the dog.”

Indeed, if this is the Lakers’ idea of a response, it didn’t quite get the message across or reinforce their dominance. Of course, Wednesday’s pratfall was not entirely unexpected, given that it was the Lakers’ third road game in 4 nights.

Call the Lakers’ dog-tired, and the Suns dogged in their resolve to follow up last month’s 15-point victory over the Lakers at Veterans Memorial Coliseum with another inspired effort.

The Lakers did not appear worn out at the start. In a spirited first quarter, the lead bounced around, eventually settling at 38-38. But, after James Worthy sank a jump shot to give the Lakers a 44-42 lead with 9:20 to play in the first half, the Lakers’ second-quarter spiral began.

By the time the first half ended, that 2-point Laker lead turned into a 21-point deficit.

The Suns deserve as much credit as the Lakers blame for the 28-8 run. Phoenix’s defense, led by pesky T.R. Dunn, kept the Lakers from running a semblance of their offense. The Suns’ rebounding initiated many fast-break opportunities, and Eddie Johnson was virtually unstoppable with his long-range shooting.

The Lakers’ second quarter was perhaps the worst performance in a quarter by a non-lottery-bound team this season.

They went 14 possessions without scoring a point, A.C. Green finally breaking the drought by sinking 2 free throws with 2:25 to play. And it was another 2 minutes and 4 possessions before the Lakers scored a basket, Orlando Woolridge tipping in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s miss with 25 seconds to play.

During that span, the Lakers missed 10 shots, committed 5 turnovers and 2 offensive fouls. Meanwhile, at one point, the Suns scored on 13 of 16 possessions.

Eddie Johnson did the most serious damage. Coming off the bench, Johnson made 2 shots from 3-point range, 3 jump shots from a shorter distance and even sank the free throw when Riley was called for a technical after a scuffle between Green and Armon Gilliam.

Few, except possibly for Riley, would have blamed the Lakers had they packed it in at halftime and felt satisfied at least winning the first 2 games on the trip.

But the Lakers rallied as best they could in the second half, cutting Phoenix’s lead to 9 points twice in the fourth quarter. Each time, however, the Lakers used up residual power and succumbed to the Suns’ constant pressure.

Of the 3 Johnsons playing Wednesday night, the Suns’ Eddie and Kevin had the edge over Magic.

Eddie came off the bench to score a game-high 32 points, making 12 of 23 shots, including 3 of 5 3-point attempts. Kevin pushed the fast break and had 23 points and 12 assists.

Phoenix’s defense forced the Lakers to shoot just 46% and commit 15 turnovers. The Suns also outrebounded the Lakers, 46-42.

“We stopped them defensively, as we continued to shoot well,” Eddie Johnson said. “We seem to be able to score very well when we play L.A., mainly because they like to run, too. But we can shoot it. If a team’s going to try to outscore us, then they’ll lose to us.”

Riley seems willing to accept any suggestions about how to approach the Suns. After Wednesday night, he is still searching.

“They’ve got a real good team,” Riley said. “I don’t think teams know how to handle them yet, because they’ve changed since the start of the season in how they play together.”

At least, it can be presumed, the Laker players now know the Suns’ record.

“This is something new to me,” said Worthy, one of three Lakers to score 15 points Wednesday night. “It’s as close as it has since I’ve been here. It’s something we have to take notice and take care of.”

Laker Notes

Laker forward James Worthy, on making the Western Conference All-Star team for the fourth consecutive season: “Any time you’re picked for the All-Star game, it’s an honor. You feel your game has been appreciated. I never really dwell on setting a standard by making the All-Star game. I try to judge it by what I do over the whole season.” . . . The Lakers said that Byron Scott, recovering from urinary bleeding, worked out on his own Tuesday and reported no problems afterward. He is expected to be examined again today before receiving clearance to resume practicing with the team.