Lakers Faced Toughest 1st Round in Years

Magic Johnson made the gesture in such an exaggerated motion it was almost comical. He slowly ran his right hand across his brow, then flicked off imaginary sweat and exhaled deeply in relief.

Yes, Johnson wordlessly confirmed, the Lakers are happy to be rid of the Houston Rockets and on to the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series against either the Phoenix Suns or Utah Jazz.

Unlike other first-round opponents the Lakers have swiftly dispatched in the last seven playoffs, the Rockets made the Lakers work for victories. It was not, as in past seasons, almost a bye going into the second round. The Lakers actually lost a game and had to come from behind twice in blowing out the Rockets in Game 4 on Thursday night.

Not since 1980-81, when the Rockets eliminated the Lakers in a miniseries, have the Lakers experienced such fierce competition in the first round. Led by Akeem Olajuwon, arguably the NBA’s best center, the Rockets may be the most physical team the Lakers will face in the Western Conference during the playoffs.

Other teams, especially the fast-breaking Suns, will provide other problems, definitely a faster pace, for the Lakers. But the Lakers were acutely susceptible to the Rockets’ rugged style of play and vulnerable to the matchup problem at center with Olajuwon, and at guards, where Houston ran two small, quick players at the bigger Laker back court.

“We may play tougher teams, but there isn’t going to be a series any more physical than (the Houston) series was,” Laker Coach Pat Riley said. “Maybe not even if we make it to the finals. I don’t know if we’ll face the same size problem again. Akeem and Otis (Thorpe) caused a lot of problems. We don’t have to worry about that now.”

Any pretense of the Lakers’ usual nonchalance after winning a first-round series was abandoned after their 109-88 victory at the Summit on Thursday night.

Johnson cracked his first smile in a week. Vlade Divac blew a kiss to the bench after sinking a three-point shot late in the game. James Worthy even showed emotion.

“Akeem is behind us now,” Johnson said, shaking his head. “He and Otis Thorpe, thank goodness we don’t have to play them anymore. That’s a lot of power up front that you have to do something to stop. After this, any team we play now we will be more of a finesse team.”

Worthy said that the difficult series against the Rockets was good for the Lakers, that their energy was increased, not sapped, by the four-game series.

“It was good for us,” Worthy said. “We’ve never had to work this hard in the first round. Now, we’re ready to play, we’re into it.”

Riley said that nearly a week off between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs may have contributed to the Lakers’ slow start against the Rockets.

“Early, we were sluggish,” Riley said. “I don’t think there was any doubt the layoff affected us. James and Buck (Johnson), especially, really felt it. I think it took (Johnson) two games to really get into it.”