NBA Playoffs : Laker Win in Game 1 Hurts So Good, 113-102 : Worthy Has 28 in Game 1 Victory Over SuperSonics

It is not as if the Lakers are into pain. They do not particularly enjoy trading bumps and bruises with the Seattle SuperSonics, but they felt compelled to do it to win.

Sunday afternoon, in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Lakers absorbed and administered their share of punishment before overcoming the SuperSonics, 113-102, in a physically demanding game not seen in the Forum since they took away the ice surface.

But the Lakers, willing to adapt their style, expected such Sonic blasts. Rather than retreat, the Lakers showed a physical side that usually remains dormant until the Detroit Pistons come to town.

“You have to beat them at their own game,” Laker forward James Worthy, who had 28 points and 12 rebounds, said of the SuperSonics. “That means you have to push and shove and dive for loose balls and go for every rebound. Mentally and physically, you have to have that effort.

“We’re not known for it. But when we have to adjust, we can.”

After cruising through a first-round playoff sweep of Portland in which they were hardly touched, the Lakers needed more than a half to adjust before taking control with an impressive show of force and defense.

That was not exactly an unexpected development to Laker Coach Pat Riley, who talked so much about the physical aspect of the series that he might as well have used a blocking sled in practice.

“They are one of the most aggressive teams in the league,” Riley said. “They fight and compete for everything. Each team has got a personality. Theirs is being aggressive. They try to control you with aggressive play, and you’ve got to make the adjustment.

“There’s a lot of frustrating that develops when you play tough, physical teams. You can’t let their tactics get to you.”

As late as two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lakers still trailed the SuperSonics and seemed to be wilting in the face of those strong-armed tactics.

But then came a 24-9 Laker run over a 9:10 span that gave them a 110-96 lead and enabled the gathering of 17,505 to head for the parking lot before the final buzzer.

During that Laker run, made possible by Seattle’s six turnovers and two missed shots and a blocked layup by Michael Cooper, the SuperSonics were held without a basket for nearly seven minutes. By the time Xavier McDaniel scored inside, only 55 seconds remained and the Lakers had a lead in double figures.

While the Lakers credited their trapping defense and aggressiveness for their fourth-quarter surge, the SuperSonics said it was a self-inflicted loss.

“We didn’t lose this game because of missed shots,” McDaniel said. “We lost because of turnovers. We need to attack their press better.”

For much of the second quarter and even into the second half, the SuperSonics were successfully attacking the Lakers. Seattle led at halftime, 54-52, and after three quarters, 81-80, at which point they also had a distinct rebounding advantage.

Eventually, though, the Lakers became the aggressors. Although the SuperSonics shot better than the Lakers (52.6% to 46.9%), the Lakers took advantage of the byproduct of Seattle’s physical play by dominating at the free-throw line.

The Lakers made 37 of 46 free throws. Seattle made 18 of 25. Known for their tendency to foul, the SuperSonics did not quibble much about the disparity.

“We’ll just have to try and play through that,” McDaniel said of the 31 personal fouls called on his team.

But that, basically, is how the Lakers hope to handle Seattle’s unceasing pressure. They want to attack rather than retreat, trying to draw fouls.

Those objectives were achieved, but not without difficulty.

Worthy made nine-of-20 shots and made 10-of-11 free throws for a game-high 28 points. He also had 12 rebounds, five on the offense. Magic Johnson scored 11 of his 21 points at the free-throw line and also had 14 of the Lakers’ 28 assists. And A.C. Green added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Laker defense, meanwhile, contained McDaniel and Dale Ellis, the SuperSonics’ main scorers. Ellis, who averaged 28 points against the Lakers this season, was limited to 19 points. McDaniel, who had averaged 30 points in the final 10 regular-season games, attempted only 11 shots and finished with 15 points.

Although he is a forward, Worthy began the game guarding Ellis, and Green, a power forward, guarded small forward McDaniel. In the second half, though, Laker guard Byron Scott switched to Ellis and held him to seven points.

“We did a good job on (Ellis),” Scott said. “Any time you can hold him to that (19 points), it’s a good job. My objective is to just not let him get an open shot. Contest everything.”

Added Worthy: “You have to max out on Ellis. It’s not an individual thing. It’s a team defensive effort. He is awesome, explosive at times.”

But the first indication that the SuperSonics might be fading came midway through the third quarter after Ellis made a three-point shot for a 67-65 lead.

Seattle’s next six possessions resulted in five turnovers. The Lakers didn’t take full advantage, however. They scored six points, taking a four-point lead that they lost by the end of the third quarter.

But when the SuperSonics lapsed into a series of turnovers and ill-advised shots again in the fourth quarter, the Lakers pounced.

The decisive rally began when Johnson made a long jump shot to avoid a 24-second clock violation. It continued through four free throws and hit stride when Worthy took a pass from Johnson and drove through the congested lane for a layup that made it, 94-89, Lakers.

At that point, however, Seattle still was within striking distance. Guard Sedale Threatt tried to end the scoring drought by driving through the lane for what appeared to be an easy layup. But Cooper swooped in and blocked Threatt’s attempt. Johnson retrieved the ball and scored on a fast-break layup.

That gave the Lakers a seven-point lead. Boosted by two successful skyhooks from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16 points) and a basket off an offensive rebound by Mychal Thompson (16 points), the Lakers then put it away.

Game 1, that is. Not the best-of-seven series.

The SuperSonics, coming off a first-round playoff victory over the Houston Rockets, entered the game with fewer than one day of preparation and little rest. The Lakers, on the other hand, had three days of practice before Game 1.

Compounding their problem, the SuperSonics said they were awakened by fire alarms at their hotel at 3 a.m. and again at 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

It was not exactly Coach Bernie Bickerstaff’s idea of proper pregame preparation. So, under the circumstances, Bickerstaff said he was pleased by his team’s play.

“I think it could be a good, interesting series,” said Bickerstaff, smiling. “We proved we can be competitive.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I was not surprised by the way we played today.”

Neither were the Lakers.

Laker Notes

As planned, the SuperSonics flew back to Seattle Sunday night. They will practice Monday and Tuesday in Seattle and return to Los Angeles Tuesday night. . . . The Lakers have won their last nine playoff games against the SuperSonics, dating back to the first game of the 1980 Western Conference finals. . . . With 16 points Sunday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored in double figures in all four Laker playoff games.

Laker Coach Pat Riley said his only gripe about his team Sunday was a second-quarter lapse during which the SuperSonics made a 14-8 run for a 54-52 halftime lead. “In the second quarter, our defense really broke down, and our offense flattened out,” Riley said. “But being down two points at halftime may have been a blessing in disguise. We felt a little pressure.” . . . Agent Larry Fleisher, 58, died Thursday in New York. Fleisher represented Laker players A.C. Green and Orlando Woolridge. Green, who will be a restricted free agent after this season, had been negotiating with Laker management on a contract extension. That apparently is put on hold until Green hires another agent.