NBA PLAYOFFS : Suns Can’t Break Through Clouds of Lakers’ Play : L.A. Takes a 2-0 Lead in Series Despite an Off Night for Worthy

If the Phoenix Suns could not break through the Lakers’ home-court dominance on a night such as this, in which James Worthy’s outside shooting dipped to arctic conditions and turnovers were the house special, perhaps they never will.

With the Lakers as vulnerable as they have been in the Forum since this playoff fortnight began, the Suns did not seize the rare opportunity Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals and, thus, will slink home today 101-95 losers before a crowd of 17,505.

Though inartistic and certainly not as dominating as their eight other victories playoff victories, the Lakers nonetheless hold a two-games-to-none series lead. In the process, they handed the Suns their 19th straight defeat--not to mention extending Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons’ personal 35-game losing streak--at the seemingly impenetrable Forum.

Trailing by four points in a ragged first half, the Lakers came out fired up in the third quarter and misfired with nearly everything they attempted. The Lakers shot 38% in the quarter and had 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% in a third quarter better suited to the Clippers and Spurs than the conference’s best teams and carried only a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Given that reprieve of sorts, the Lakers cleaned up their act in a dominating fourth quarter in which 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.

More than anything, though, this probably will be remembered as the game in which the Lakers’ defense overcame their offensive deficiencies.

Using a trapping defense most of the second half, the Lakers forced Suns’ point guard Kevin Johnson into a uncharacteristic commiting seven turnovers. Most impressive, perhaps, 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 after making more than 50% of their shots in the first half. The Lakers, meanwhile, finally jump-started their offense after being stifled for three quarters by the Suns’ pressure defense.

Actually, part of the Lakers’ offensive problems were caused by the Suns, and part was self-inflicted. Worthy made only 7 of 17 shots, missing every jump shot he attempted.

But in the fourth quarter, with Magic Johnson penetrating the lane, Worthy scored four baskets inside of five feet and added three free throws. He finished with 19 points, an off night compared to his other prolific playoff performances.

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 straight strong game by scoring six of his 10 points in the second half.

The Suns were led by Kevin Johnson’s 22 points, all but four coming in the first half. And forward Tom Chambers scored 12 of his 21 points in the first half. The coldest Sun of all, though, was sixth man Eddie Johnson, who made only 2 of 12 shots.

Commiting 18 turnovers and failing to reach 100 points, the Suns certainly did not have a good chance to beat the Lakers. But in the first half, their hopes soared.

The Lakers did not have a 16-point first-half lead to lose this time. In fact, they had to rally near the end of the half to keep the Suns from opening a significant margin.

Not repeating their slow start in Game 1, the Suns showed the Lakers that they had every intention of trying to end their Forum drought when they took a 55-51 halftime lead.

The Suns’ 28-27 first-quarter lead was the result of 59.1% shooting. Although Phoenix cooled a bit in the second quarter, they still hurt the Lakers both inside and outside.

Kevin Johnson could not be kept out of the lane, often finding teammates open for easy shots. But the Suns, especially Chambers, also made the perimeter shots that failed in Saturday’s series opener.

Chambers had 12 first-half points, including swishing two three-point attempts. Kevin Johnson, meanwhile, had 18 points at halftime, easily leaving Scott and Cooper in his wake.

The Lakers’ worst stretch during the first half came shortly after Scott sank a jump shot to give the Lakers a 39-37 lead with 6:14 to play. That proved to be the Lakers’ last lead of the half as the Suns took advantage of a ragged Laker offense.

Kevin Johnson sank two free throws to make the score 39-39, then the Laker offense took what Riley calls a coffee break.

Worthy, who finally had his first cold-shooting spell during the playoffs, began the Laker lapse by missing an open perimeter shot. Eddie Johnson converted a Kevin Johnson miss at the other end for a 41-39 Sun lead.

The Lakers then kicked around the ball, wasting most of the 24-second clock before Abdul-Jabbar commited a turnover. Chambers made the Lakers pay for it by sinking a three-point shot for a 44-39 lead with 4:18 to play.

The Lakers made a brief surge, Scott finishing a drive to the basket with a dunk that cut Phoenix’s lead to three points. Scott made up for Worthy’s lack of first-half production with 18 points, including two three-point baskets. Worthy scored only four points in the half. Then came two possessions without a basket, and Dan Majerle scored on a fast break off a miss to give the Suns a 46-41 lead with three minutes to play.

Phoenix’s biggest lead was 53-47 with 1:08 to play after a three-point play by Majerle. The Lakers pulled within two before Armon Gillam was fouled at the buzzer and sank two free throws for a 55-51 Sun lead at halftime.

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 in 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. “I swear, if there was ever a person who walked out of an alien space ship, it’s Michael Jordan. The guy is the most outstanding player in pro basketball. But that doesn’t always mean that the most outstanding is the most valuable. I think Earvin deserves this one. 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.