NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES : Doctor Will Make Painful Decision for Magic, Lakers

Sometime this morning, in the privacy of the Lakers’ training room at the Forum, Magic Johnson and Dr. Robert Kerlan will go one-on-one in perhaps one of the most important matchups of the National Basketball Assn. championship series.

Johnson says he will do everything possible to convince the Lakers’ physician that his strained left hamstring has healed enough so he can help the team try to overcome an 0-2 deficit against the Detroit Pistons today in Game 3.

That might include holding back the truth about his condition. “I’m my own worst enemy,” Johnson said Saturday after he sat out practice at Loyola Marymount. “You want to play so bad that you’ll almost do anything. So, yeah, I’ll lie. I mean, hey, this is it for me. I’ve worked too hard to get to this point.

“I am a competitor, and because we are in the championship, I want to play. I saw the look on the guys’ faces when ‘B’ (Byron Scott) went out (because of a torn left hamstring). I feel I have to be in there. Well, we’re hoping for a miracle, basically. But the chances of me not playing are greater than the chances of me playing.”

The alternative if both Johnson and Scott cannot play is a starting Laker backcourt of Michael Cooper and Tony Campbell, with rookie David Rivers as the third guard.

Laker Coach Pat Riley said he has prepared for today’s game under the assumption that neither Johnson nor Scott will play.

And it is unlikely that Johnson can put one over on Kerlan during the examination. “The things we are looking for,” trainer Gary Vitti said, “is the pain to the touch, pain on range of motion, pain on active-resistant range of motion--where he is lying face down, tell him to bring the heel up and you try to prevent it, and you see how much pain he has--and strength.

“So no, he can’t fool him.”

Even Johnson acknowledges that.

“What happens is, (Kerlan’s) fingers do it. They rub down into that hamstring and that tells all.”

There is more involved than merely the extent of pain and degree of Johnson’s incapacity. Johnson has the rest of his career to consider, and whether playing would help the Lakers or hurt them--and himself.

Johnson said the final decision belongs to Kerlan, although he will have considerable input.

“It’s a thing where we’ll (talk about) if I hurt it (more) by playing, will I never play again,” Johnson said. “It really depends. I never try to overrule anybody. If Doc says I can’t play, then I’ll stay out.

“I can do all that (play with pain). It’s just the fact, will this (he pointed to his hamstring) let me do it? The thing about it is, when you do cuts, you feel it. You feel everything all the time. You’re using the hamstring all the time. It’s not like the groin, where it bites you only when you make your last move . . .

“I’m no decoy. I’m not a guy who’ll go in there for just a minute to charge the fans up. I’m going to go out to win, going to play. That’s the only way I know how to play. . . . I’m going hard. If I hurt it by going hard, I’d rather do that than going out there and (being) a soft player and then getting hurt.”

If he plays at all, Johnson said, it might be as a forward instead of as point guard. He would not have to run and cut as much or keep up with Detroit’s guards, who have scored 137 of the Pistons’ 217 points in the first two games.

Conceivably, the 6-foot 9-inch Johnson could move to forward, and James Worthy could switch to off guard. But Worthy has had problems guarding Joe Dumars, who is averaging 27.5 points a game and shooting 65.6%. So, Johnson might play power forward while A.C. Green moves to center, a lineup that Riley has used against smaller teams.

As is his custom, Riley did not speculate on matchups, especially the options if Johnson is cleared to play. But Riley stressed the importance of containing Piston guards Dumars, Isiah Thomas (22.5-point average) and Vinnie Johnson (18.5).

The Lakers’ ploy of putting taller, less mobile defenders on the Piston guards has failed miserably, so Riley figures to go with the quicker, if less experienced and talented Rivers and Campbell, and perhaps Jeff Lamp.

“We have a philosophy where we like to have overall height on the floor so we can be versatile,” Riley said. “But in the first two games, that hurt us. They’ve got two quick guards who can do it all. We can’t allow them to blow by us and do everything they’ve done. We’ve got to take that away.”

Before this series, Campbell, Rivers and Lamp played a combined 33 minutes in 11 playoff games. Now the three figure to combine for many more than that in Game 3 alone. “Whether (Johnson and Scott) can play or cannot, that’s not the issue,” Campbell said. “It’s up to us to get it done. We’re professionals. We’ll either do it or not. I believe we’re going to do it. I believe we can.”

Without Johnson and Scott, stopping Detroit’s guards is far from the Lakers’ only concern. The Laker backcourt has averaged 40.2 points in the playoffs, so somebody has to score.

Worthy, the Lakers’ leading playoff scorer, has shouldered most of the responsibility. Under relentless defensive pressure from Rick Mahorn, Dennis Rodman and John Salley, Worthy has averaged only 18 points and made 35.1% of his shots. In 11 previous playoff games, Worthy averaged 24.5 points and shot 60.3%.

“James has got to play basketball,” Riley said. “He’s not playing basketball. I don’t say that in a critical sense. What he’s doing is, he’s taking such a burden on his shoulders and he’s so concerned about their defense.

“I just reminded him of Games 6 and 7 last year (when Worthy dominated). He was not any different player . . . but he just went out and played the total game and didn’t worry about it.”

Worthy agreed.

“That’s what’s got to be done,” he said. “I got to play a little smarter. I’ve got to have confidence in Tony and Rivers, the guys out on the perimeter, and just let the game flow naturally. You know, not try to force the issue.”

Hamstrings remain the dominant issue of this series. Several Pistons say they believe Johnson will be in the lineup today, comparing the situation to Thomas playing in Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals despite a sprained ankle. “Oh, absolutely,” said Piston center Bill Laimbeer, when asked if he expects Johnson to play. “We don’t expect anything different from them. I think he’ll play.”

Piston forward Mark Aguirre, a close friend of Johnson, added: “I don’t think the pain will keep him from playing. The only thing (Laker doctors) can tell him is that it would jeopardize his career if he plays. Pain is not a big (question).”

Even some of Johnson’s teammates say that it might be impossible for Kerlan to convince Johnson to stay out of the lineup. “Magic will play for sure,” Cooper said. “I’ve known Magic for 11 years. When the money’s on the line, he’s there. And the money’s on the line.”

Despite the injuries and the fact that only two teams, the 1969 Boston Celtics and the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, have recovered from 0-2 deficits to win the NBA title, Cooper added: “We’ll win this still. It’ll be one of the most dramatic wins in NBA history.” NBA Finals Notes

Piston injury report: Forward Dennis Rodman was kept out of practice Friday and Saturday because of back spasms. But he said he will play today. “I can’t run at all today,” Rodman said Saturday. “But I’ll have it rubbed down before the game and I’ll be ready. If I can walk, I’ll play.” . . . Center Bill Laimbeer said he will play despite a pinched nerve in his neck that has affected his outside shooting. Laimbeer has attempted only seven shots, making three, in two games. . . . Magic Johnson, comparing his strained left hamstring to when he tore the hamstring in February: “The pain is just as great, but the pull is not as bad as February.” David Rivers, the Lakers’ rookie point guard, has played only eight minutes in the playoffs, none in crucial situations. That figures to change, which pleases Rivers. “Coach just said, ‘Be ready,’ and I smiled, because I’m finally getting my chance to play,” Rivers said. Pat Riley said he has confidence in Rivers based on his play against the Pistons on Feb. 14, when Johnson was out because of his torn hamstring. In that game, Rivers played 15 minutes and held his own against the Pistons’ Isiah Thomas. Said Johnson of Rivers: “His strength is his quickness. His weakness might be his (in)experience. He’s never been in something like this before (the NBA Finals). . . . But I have confidence in his defense, because he did a good job in that second game (against Detroit).” . . . Thomas was a guest Friday night on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” He presented the talk-show host with a Piston jacket and a “Bad Boys” T-shirt. . . . Thomas said he still has failed to reach Johnson, a close friend, to talk about Johnson’s hamstring injury. “I’ve left messages all over town for him,” Thomas said. “He must be in the trainer’s room 24 hours a day.” . . . The teams practiced at an auxiliary gymnasium at Loyola Marymount Saturday because an ice show was scheduled at the Forum and Loyola Marymount’s main gym was occupied by a junior high cheerleading competition.