Lakers Finally Get a Chance to Work Part Time, 124-93 : Pro basketball: They prove they can stand success by beating Cavaliers and getting their first blowout since Feb. 7.

Close games might be more entertaining, but the Lakers had grown tired of always having to put in a full night’s work to win.

Friday night, the Lakers convincingly broke a habit of squandering big leads. They got the Cleveland Cavaliers down and kept them there en route to a 124-93 victory before 17,505 at the Forum.

It had been nearly a month since the Lakers had won in a true blowout. By their standards, it had seemed an eternity.

An evaluation was needed, and the Lakers emerged from this period of introspection with a new game plan. Gone, at least for now, is the Lakers’ habitual use of a half-court defensive trap. It has been replaced by an extended and aggressive defense in which players are encouraged to guard only their assigned man and not worry about double-teaming.

This departure, first implemented in the second half of Wednesday night’s victory at Seattle, directly translated into one of the Lakers’ most lopsided victories this season.

It was the Lakers’ first real blowout victory since they beat the Chicago Bulls by 18 points on Feb. 7. Of more significance, Friday’s victory improved the Lakers’ record to 42-13 and moved them 4 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Portland Trail Blazers in the Pacific Division.

What was stressed as much as defense by Coach Pat Riley was the Lakers’ lapses in effort. They put the two problem areas together and perhaps have solved the nagging problem of blowing leads, which cost them a loss against the Utah Jazz last week and other close calls before that.

It did not hurt the Lakers that the Cavaliers (25-31) were playing the second of back-to-back games and were without point guard Mark Price, who had a hip-pointer.

Still, the Lakers defense forced the Cavaliers into 19 turnovers, limited them to 44% shooting and served as a catalyst for the Lakers’ renewed fast break.

“Our defense was consistently there,” Riley said. “We’ve started extending the court, picking up your man. We’re contesting every shot and trying to rebound every ball. We’re playing a little more straight up. Sometimes, you’ve got to change defensive principles.”

Although the Lakers’ emphasis was on defense, the aggressiveness carried over. The Lakers made 55.8% of their shots, held a 45-37 rebounding advantage and routinely converted on Cleveland mistakes.

As a result, the Lakers built an 18-point halftime lead. The advantage grew to 28 entering the fourth quarter and as many as 41 points in the fourth quarter before settling at a 31-point spread.

It was not the most lopsided Laker victory this season. They beat the Miami Heat by 39 points on Jan. 7.

But the Lakers seemed more satisfied with this victory than any other recent victory, mostly because they experienced only a brief letdown at the start of the second half.

Because they kept the Cavaliers from charging, Laker regulars had the luxury of spending the entire fourth quarter on the bench.

Before leaving, Magic Johnson had 26 points and eight assists. Johnson made nine of 15 shots, including three of five three-point attempts. Johnson has made at least one three-point shot in 14 consecutive games. Byron Scott, Johnson’s backcourt mate, had 17 points and also sank three of five three-point shots.

The Laker bench provided a lift, especially in the second quarter when the game was still reasonably close.

Orlando Woolridge, coming off a 24-point effort against Seattle, had 17 points and turned much of the second half into a display of his dunking prowess. Vlade Divac made six of seven shots for 13 points, and Mark McNamara added eight points and five rebounds in eight minutes.

“Finally, we didn’t give up the lead,” center Mychal Thompson said. “It was good to see (the reserves) in there at the end. It meant we sustained the lead. And we did it with defense.”

A different kind of defense, however. Riley said the Lakers’ half-court trap did not cause the defensive breakdown. He said the Lakers had resorted to the trap when their standard defense became lax.

Johnson added that the Lakers simply went back to basics.

“The reason we got the big leads was that we played good defense,” Johnson said. “The reason we lost them is that we did not keep playing defense. We didn’t keep up that intensity. Now, we’re going to pick up (opponents) all over the court and pressure them all the time. That’s the kind of game we want to play.

“A team is going to make a run on you. That’s basketball. What we did tonight was say, ‘OK, you’ve had your run, now it’s our turn.’ We did that.”

Laker Notes

James Worthy’s wife, Angela, gave birth to the couple’s first child, six-pound, nine-ounce Sable Alexandria, Thursday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Worthy did not make it to the delivery. Angela Worthy gave birth at 9:23 Thursday morning; the Laker flight from Seattle landed at 9:30. Worthy said he made it to the hospital by 10, but missed the birth.

Larry Drew said his wife is due to give birth any day. Orlando Woolridge’s wife is due at the end of March. . . . Mychal Thompson on his sprained left ankle and chronically sore left heel: “I feel like I’ve got a mag wheel on my right leg and a tricycle wheel on the other. I just limp now out of habit.”

Larry Nance led the Cavaliers with 21 points and Chucky Brown added 15. . . . Referee Jim Capers had to leave the floor midway through the second quarter after suffering a strained right hamstring. The game continued with only two referees.