NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES : A Kiss Will Be Just a Kiss Tonight : Friendships Endure, but Magic Is Gunning for Win in Game 2

Knowing Magic Johnson as well as he does, Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas would not be at all surprised if his friend and Laker adversary follows up that ceremonial peck on the cheek before tonight’s tipoff with a threatening scowl.

In times of stress, Thomas said, Johnson feels compelled to turn inward and try to single-handedly take control. That figures to be Johnson’s intention for Game 2 of the National Basketball Assn. championship series, which the Pistons lead as a result of their 109-97 victory Tuesday night.

“I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to try to win the basketball game,” Thomas said of Johnson. “I’m sure he’ll try to come out and say, ‘Come on fellas, jump on my back and let’s go for a ride.’ ”

Because of Byron Scott’s absence, Johnson’s performance will be crucial if the Lakers are to avoid losing both games in the Palace.

In Tuesday night’s series opener, the Pistons held Johnson to 17 points. He shot only 12 times, only once during the decisive third quarter. He had 14 assists but only five rebounds in 41 minutes.

Wednesday morning, however, it was as if Johnson had emerged from a refresher course in assertiveness training. Just as Thomas had predicted, Johnson vowed to take the initiative tonight.

“I guess I’ll have to generate some more offense because we’re missing (Scott),” he said. “I’ve got to come out in the attack mode. I can’t just sit back and try to get everybody else in the offense.

“We’ve been winning that way, by everybody contributing. My job (in Game 1) was to distribute the ball as well as score. But I guess, sometimes, you can’t be in that distribute mode. I have to come out and be the aggressor.”

Told that Thomas had predicted as much, Johnson flashed his only smile of the afternoon and said: “I hope I can take all of us on a ride to victory.”

Johnson apparently has Coach Pat Riley’s blessing.

Riley, who probably will start Tony Campbell in Scott’s off-guard spot and return Michael Cooper to his more productive role as sixth man, said that Johnson will have to assume more responsibility, especially on offense.

“Earvin’s got to work harder,” Riley said. “Earvin’s the epitome of the team player. And I think (in Game 1), he kind of took himself out of it by looking to the other guys more. There can’t be any rest for him.”

The other Lakers depend on Johnson, now more than ever. His teammates also expect to see Johnson take control, as he did at key times this season and in playoffs past.

“I liken Earvin in these situations to a wounded animal,” Mychal Thompson said. “You just don’t get near him after a loss, especially (Tuesday night’s), knowing he didn’t play his best in the clutch situations. “That means he’s going to be real dangerous next game. You can always tell. When he elevates his game to stratosphere status, you just jump on the elevator and ride on up.

“I mean, he’s like a hungry pit bull when he’s eating. You don’t go near him after a loss. He will snap your head off, but in the right way, by coming out and playing his best game.”

Johnson didn’t quite find that pit bull comparison flattering, but he said he will be ferocious, yet controlled, tonight.

“I’m feeling ready to go,” he said. “I don’t like to lose, and I’m not in a great mood. I admit that.”

His frustrations surfaced during the third quarter of Tuesday’s opener when the Pistons stifled Johnson’s effectiveness by double-teaming him. It was the same strategy Detroit had used to contain Michael Jordan and has resulted in the Pistons holding opponents to fewer than 100 points in 14 consecutive playoff games.

“There were a lot of things going wrong,” Johnson said. “And any time you’re trying to do things and they aren’t working and you got new people in there . . . it’s frustrating. The game was just not going like I thought it should.”

Even without Scott, who has averaged 19.9 points in the playoffs, Johnson often chose to pass the ball when double-teamed, rather than work to get open. Piston guard Joe Dumars, who contained Jordan in the last series, was primarily responsible for stopping Johnson. “A lot of times, when I was going for my shot, they double-teamed me,” Johnson said. “I guess now, when I get doubled, I just can’t look to pass, and just look first to break through it and then get a shot off.”

This change of Johnson’s strategy came as no great shock to the Pistons, who seemed mildly surprised that Johnson was so passive in Game 1.

“I’d assume that’s what he’s going to do,” Dumars said.

Piston Coach Chuck Daly said: “I’d be surprised if he didn’t.”

James Worthy, the Lakers’ only other consistent scoring threat, missed his first five attempts and made only six of 18 shots.

But give credit to the Pistons’ defense. Daly started burly power forward Rick Mahorn against Worthy, the Lakers’ small forward, making it difficult for Worthy to score inside. And when Mahorn tired, Daly used either Dennis Rodman or John Salley, perhaps the Pistons’ two best defensive forwards.

“Worthy is a very explosive offensive player,” Mahorn said. “He can beat you in many ways. You just try to minimize him the best you can. It’s important not to let him score early. You can’t let him get that type of rhythm.

“I’d rather check (Laker reserve Mark) McNamara. Do you want to guard the MVP of the playoffs last year? I’d rather check someone where I wouldn’t need so much help.”

Worthy hardly resembled the player who, when he last faced the Pistons in the playoffs in Game 7 last season, had his first triple-double.

“James was trying to put us on his shoulders,” Johnson said. “It was just a fact that he was trying so hard. He knew we needed him to do more and he was going for it. Sometimes, you can go so hard and nothing seems to go for you.”

Said Worthy: “I always try to take advantage of what’s there, but I think I was being a little too impatient,” he said. “I forced the issue.”

The Lakers still are trying not to make the loss of Scott a major issue. But Riley said that starting Cooper in Scott’s place disrupts the Lakers’ substitution pattern, also a factor in the loss.

So, tonight, Riley figures to start Campbell and bring in Cooper off the bench at point guard and small forward.

Campbell, who played 23 minutes in the Lakers’ first 11 playoff games, played 25 Tuesday and did not contribute much, offensively or defensively, until the second half.

“I’m going to take a hard look at it,” Riley said of a possible lineup change. “Maybe we’ll give Tony five or six minutes at the top of the show and then, that way, our substitution pattern is normal.”

Whatever guard combination Riley uses, the Lakers must stop Piston guards Thomas, Dumars and Vinnie Johnson. After shooting a combined 38% in the Chicago series, the Piston guards scored 65 of the 109 points and made 63% of their shots against the Lakers.

As the Pistons said afterward, Game 1 of the finals was their best playoff game. But the Pistons remain wary of the Lakers, who lost the opening games of the 1985 and 1988 championship series before rebounding to win the title.

“We know what to expect from them in Game 2 this year,” Thomas said. “Last year, we thought it was just Game 2, you know. But they put it all on the line. I’m sure they’ll put it all on the line this time, too.”