Mt. Riley Erupts, but Lakers Fizzle in 110-104 Defeat

After one of Coach Pat Riley’s infrequent locker room eruptions, Laker players often speak like scientists assessing the size and strength of a volcanic explosion.

Tuesday night’s Mt. Riley blast, coming after a worthless first-half effort against the Houston Rockets, was deemed a sharp one that caused no physical damage but that delivered a much-needed mental jolt. Harsh words were spoken, mistakes reviewed with language that would make A.C. Green blush and, near the end, strategy to try to rally from a 15-point halftime deficit evolved.

“Oh yeah, he spoke to us,” Laker guard Byron Scott said. “That’s for sure. This is a mild one. I wouldn’t even rank it in his top five. We deserved more than what he gave us. To tell the truth, the way we played, he should have kicked the door down and put us through a few doors.”

Whatever Riley said and did helped, but words were not enough to prevent a 110-104 Laker loss to the Rockets that ended the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak.

Poor is too mild a word to describe their first-half performance. Maybe some of Riley’s colorful halftime terms would be apt. Coming off an inspired blowout victory over San Antonio Sunday night in Los Angeles, the Lakers were flat and flattened by Houston in a first half that Scott deemed the club’s worst in his seven NBA seasons.

In those 24 minutes, the Lakers commited 17 turnovers and were outrebounded by seven. Magic Johnson had seven points and five turnovers. Scott made one of eight shots. Normally docile James Worthy was called for a technical foul. And, as Riley later said, “some of those turnovers belonged on Frank Layden’s blooper video.”

Saying he could not let such a performance slide, Riley delivered his first pysche-shaker of the season. He hoped for a response, some sign of life, if nothing else.

“It was how I felt,” Riley said. “Knowing these guys and how many big games they have under their belts, sometimes I tell myself, ‘why don’t we let this one go?’ But, once you accept defeat, it’s easier to accept it again. I couldn’t shrug it off, because this team is a part of me.”

As such, Riley gave them a piece of his mind.

It got results, though an 18-point third-quarter deficit simply proved too much to overcome.

Alert defensively instead of slothful, making sharp passes instead of foolish ones, the Lakers whittled the Rockets’ lead to 86-75 entering the fourth quarter and then to two points after a 10-1 surge in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.

Johnson’s three-point play that cut Houston’s lead to 87-85 was typical of the Lakers’ renewed second-half effort. He attempted a desperation 20-foot jump shot to beat the shot clock, then ran down the long rebound and sank a running hook shot in the lane. He was fouled on the play and made the free throw.

But the 8-6 Rockets, whose strong play also contributed to the Lakers’ first-half malaise, would not give up the lead. The closest the Lakers came was three points the rest of the way.

The Lakers’ last realistic chance to win came with 1:13 to play after Akeem Olajuwon made one of two free-throw attempts. Riley called time out and set up what he calls a “two-man game” with Johnson and Worthy.

Worthy received Johnson’s pass in the low post and made a spin move to the basket for what seemed an uncontested layup. But Olajuwon left Green and swooped across the lane to block Worthy’s shot above the rim. Johnson committed a foul chasing down the loose ball, and Otis Thorpe sank two free throws for a 102-96 lead.

The Lakers, forced into a three-point-shooting-and-quick-fouling mode, never seriously threatened after that.

The Lakers finished the night with respectable--if misleading--statistics.

They shot 45.1%; outrebounded the Rockets, 49-43; and committed only eight of their 25 turnovers in the second half. Houston had 14 offensive rebounds in the first half, but just one thereafter.

Johnson finished with 24 points--only nine of 26 from the field, though--13 rebounds, nine assists and eight turnovers. All five starters, plus reserve guard Larry Drew, managed double figures, though Worthy’s 16 points were five under his average.

The Rockets were somewhat more consistent, though their second-half play was hardly something to cherish. Still, the Rockets received 21 points and 10 rebounds from Thorpe, 17 points and 12 rebounds from Olajuwon and, surprisingly, 20 points from forward Buck Johnson and 19 from guard Mitchell Wiggins.

Most astonishing of all--to Rocket coach Don Chaney, that is--was Houston’s 14 turnovers.

“If someone was not at the game and read the paper tomorrow, they wouldn’t believe it,” Chaney said. “Our guys are taking better care of the ball, executing better.”

Such could not be said of the Lakers in the first half.

Magic Johnson had five of his eight turnovers in the half, but he was not alone. All the Lakers had trouble with such rudimentary things as catching passes, making layups and defending outside shooters.

The Lakers’ nadir came midway through the second quarter, when a cross-court pass by Worthy ricocheted off the toe of Drew’s right foot and into the hands of a Rocket.

“We were very sloppy,” Riley said. “We were lucky we weren’t blown out. I mean, 17 turnovers. Down by 15. We didn’t come in with the proper state of mind. They were the aggressors, and we were the receivers.”

It is not surprising, then, that Laker players received a tongue-lashing from Riley.

“We weren’t mentally into it,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t get after it. We played well for a while, but it was a little too late. We’ll learn from it.”

Riley said he will make sure of that.

“This was a good lesson,” he said. “Now, I can always remind them of this game.”