Riley: Club May Have Let Down After Best-Record Quest

Laker Coach Pat Riley covered his face with his hands as the final seconds ticked off the clock at the Forum Tuesday night. His head was bowed as he walked to the locker room.

“I just know that we didn’t play Laker basketball, right from the very first game,” Riley said after the Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns from the Western Conference playoffs, 106-103.

“Maybe we put so much energy into winning the best record in the league that once we secured it, our first two games against Houston were an aberration.”

The Lakers, pro basketball’s team of the 1980s, opened the 1990s with a thud. Is the Lakers’ purple reign over?

“No, I don’t think so,” Riley said. “We’re going to read about it and it’s going to sting. That’s one thing about being a great team and getting to the finals eight out of 10 years and then all of a sudden you’re not in the finals. We still have a lot of talent. We just didn’t get it done this year.

“This team is going to continue to win. I’m proud and I’m not going to be ashamed. I’m sure that (owner) Jerry Buss and (General Manager) Jerry West will sign any players we need to keep it going.”

Said Laker guard Magic Johnson: “I don’t think it’s the end of the Lakers. We’ve got some guys who know how to win. Maybe we’ve got to add some guys.”

Center Mychal Thompson thinks the Lakers aren’t finished.

“I expect that a lot of people who’ve never played at this level will say the dynasty is over,” Thompson said.

“But they’re people on the outside looking in. They don’t know the heart of champions that burns on this team. We’re still in our prime. We’ll bounce back next year and we expect to be the best team in the West.”

Forward James Worthy, perhaps the Lakers’ most reliable playoff performer, folded against the Suns. Worthy, who had made eight of 33 shots in his last two games entering Tuesday’s game, missed 14 of 19 shots Tuesday night.

Worthy simply shook his head when asked about his shooting.

“Those are my shots . . . what can I say?” Worthy said. “I had some great shots. They didn’t fall. I was forcing the issue. I wanted to be aggressive and take it to the hole. And I got some great shots and they didn’t fall. But I can’t dwell on one game.

“I’ve had some hot streaks and some cold streaks. That’s something I’ll have to live with. If I had those same shots I’d take them again.

“It was a total, total disappointment for our team. I find it hard to believe that we went down this way. It’s a very disappointing feeling.”

Said Riley: “James Worthy is human. He’s got a big heart. He tried to carry the team and the ball would not drop.”

Thompson said he expected Worthy’s shots to start falling.

“James is such a clutch player and he’s hit so many big shots in the past that we knew those baskets would start falling tonight,” Thompson said. “But we have to be men about it and accept the great victories we’ve had, and the defeats. We didn’t lose from lack of trying.”

Said Johnson: “James was trying so hard that he was just off. We both felt coming in that we had to do a lot. I give James credit because he played hard. It just didn’t happen.”

Johnson, who scored 43 points, took the loss hard.

“You never want to score that many points, but then I looked up and I said, ‘I’ve got to do what I did Sunday.’ I don’t want to score 43 points, but if things aren’t going well around you, then you have nothing left but to do that.

“I can’t tell you how I feel. It’s hard to describe. I’m very frustrated and upset. But we have to accept it. In my standard anything less than getting to the finals is a failure.

“I’m sad and disappointed. I’m almost at the point where you’re ready to cry, but that’s old. You’ve got to be strong. This is the lowest that I could get to. But that’s what happens when you lose.

“Just give them credit. They played well. They got the job done.”

Johnson got the Lakers off to a fast start, scoring 19 points as they took a 35-20 lead in the first quarter.

“But we couldn’t sustain it,” Johnson said. “We just started missing shots.”