NBA PLAYOFFS : Suns Can’t Break Through Despite Poor Laker Start : L.A. Defense Offsets Its Offense, Lets Club Take a 2-0 Series Lead

If the Phoenix Suns could not break the Lakers’ home-court dominance on Tuesday night, perhaps they never will.

With the Lakers as vulnerable as they have been in the Forum since the playoffs began, the Suns did not seize a rare opportunity in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals and head home today after losing 101-95 before a crowd of 17,505.

Though inartistic and lacking in quality play in every area except defense, the Lakers nonetheless hold a two-games-to-none lead in the series. In the process, they handed the Suns their 19th straight defeat and Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons his 35th consecutive loss at the Forum.

Said Laker Coach Pat Riley: “It was great to win, despite a lackluster offensive performance. It was vital we hold serve. Psychologically, 1-1 and 2-0 is a big, big difference going into their place. It changes everything.”

Had this game been played in Phoenix, where the Lakers were blown out three times this season, perhaps it would not have been salvageable after an uninspired first half and a dismal offensive display during the third quarter.

But at the Forum, and using a trapping defense that harnessed Suns point guard Kevin Johnson, the Lakers pulled it out.

“We realize when the game is crucial and we tend to focus in then,” Laker forward James Worthy said. “We know when we have to do it.”

That time was the final minutes of the third quarter and most of the fourth.

Trailing by four points after a ragged first half, the Lakers came out fired up at the start of the second but misfired with nearly everything they attempted. The Lakers shot 38% in the quarter and scored only 20 points.

Normally against the Suns, such a performance would be a death sentence. But the Suns shot even worse than the Lakers, 29.1%, during a third quarter and carried only a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.

“Both teams seemed to be in a stretch of missing,” Magic Johnson said. “Then, we just waited for somebody to get that run and we finally got it . . . and made it our game.”

Their trapping defense being the catalyst, the Lakers surged as Worthy’s cold shooting thawed, Orlando Woolridge heated up off the bench and Magic Johnson took control of play as an NBA most valuable player should.

The Lakers forced Kevin Johnson into a uncharacteristic seven turnovers. More impressive, though, was that Michael Cooper’s defensive pressure kept the ball out of Johnson’s hands at key times.

As a result, the Suns shot only 33% in the second half. The Lakers, meanwhile, finally jump-started their offense after being stifled for three quarters by the Suns’ pressure defense.

The Lakers call it their “red” defense, the color scheme no doubt selected because it is only employed when emergency measures are needed.

“Our red defense is when we press them all over and overplay everybody,” Cooper said. “It was Riley’s so-called defensive instructions, and it worked for us.

“Our intensity level (on defense) was a lot better in the second half.”

Kevin Johnson said fatigue played a part in his inauspicious triple-double--22 points, 10 assists, 10 turnovers.

“I got a little tired in the second half,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t able to sustain it.”

Neither Cooper nor Riley wanted to talk much about how they stopped Kevin Johnson, who scored only four of his 22 points in the second half.

The general idea, however, was to overplay him and trap and make other players do the ballhandling.

Riley said he was feared giving the Suns open shots as a result of double-teamming. “But you just got to work harder to avoid what we call blow-bys (uncontested drives to the basket) by Kevin,” he said.

“Coop did a good job defending him. I told Coop in the third quarter to get ready to play (Johnson) 94 feet. We wanted to make Kevin give it up, just like other teams play Earvin.”

Worthy, who had sank 63.2% of his shots in the previous eight playoff games, made only 7 of 17 shots this time. He missed every jump shot he attempted through three quarters before he finally stopped shooting from the perimeter.

But in the fourth quarter, with Magic Johnson penetrating the lane and making many of his game-high 14 assists, Worthy scored four baskets inside of five feet and added three free throws. He finished with 19 points.

Byron Scott was the only consistently hot Laker. Scott led all scorers with 30 points. He made 12 of 20 shots, including two from three-point range. Magic Johnson added 22 points, and Woolridge had his second consecutive strong game by scoring six of his 10 points in the second half.

“Tonight, the shots just weren’t falling,” Worthy said. “I had a lot of perimeter shots that they were giving me. They didn’t fall. I have to go inside when that happens.”

Said Riley of Worthy: “Tom (Chambers) did a good job on him. They were sagging and sloughing off James, but he has to keep working on it and try to do other things to help us.” In addition to Kevin Johnson’s 22 points, Chambers scored 12 of his 21 points in the first half for the Suns. The coldest Sun of all, though, was sixth man Eddie Johnson, who made only 2 of 12 shots.

“Give the Lakers credit,” Fitzsimmons said. “They did a good job defending us. Both of us played defense better this time. They kept us on the perimeter. That’s how they stopped us. Cooper denied (Kevin Johnson) the ball, and when he got the ball, they swarmed him.

“We’re just going to go home and try to take care of our serve,” Fitzsimmons said. “Now, instead of having to win only one of four games here, it’s one of two. That’s all.”

Laker Notes

Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons was selected by the Sporting News as the National Basketball Assn. coach of the year in a poll of 18 of his peers. This award is not sanctioned by the NBA. The league’s coach of the year award, voted on by media representatives, is expected to be announced shortly. Fitzsimmons, 57, also won the Sporting News award in 1979 while coaching the Kansas City Kings. “I got it in 1979 with the Kings, and I got it in ‘89,” Fitzsimmons said. “But I can tell you now that I won’t get it in ’99.” Fitzsimmons said he felt honored because the award was voted on by fellow NBA coaches. “But I also understand that it belongs to the organization and the players, too,” he said. “It’s not just me.”

Laker Coach Pat Riley, reacting to the debate over whether Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan should have won the NBA’s most valuable player award, said the league should designate a most outstanding as well as a most valuable player. “The one who deserved it more, for all he did in the regular season, was Earvin,” Riley said. Michael Jordan is the most outstanding player in the world, physically. But Earvin is more valuable. It’s the leadership, his ability to think on the court. He’s a motivator. He’s a player’s coach--I mean it that way--on the floor. He takes responsibility.”

After dropping Madonna as a commercial spokesman because of protests against the singer’s video, Pepsi-Cola has signed Johnson to a three-year contract as a spokesman. Johnson will appear in television, radio and newspaper advertisements for the soft drink. No music videos are planned, however. . . . David Rivers, the Lakers’ rookie point guard who jammed his ankle in practice late last week, has returned to practice and is available to play if needed, Laker trainer Gary Vitti said. . . . Games 3 and 4 of the series are scheduled for Friday night and Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.