Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant coach Mike Dunleavy is...

Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant coach Mike Dunleavy is the most likely choice to succeed Pat Riley as coach of the Lakers if Riley doesn’t return next season. . . .

New Clipper Coach Mike Schuler may not have been wrong when he said he was taking the best of the available NBA jobs. There’s virtually nowhere to go but up and the talent will be plentiful if Ron Harper returns to form and somebody else doesn’t break a leg. . . .

The way the series is being played, you have to think that the Phoenix Suns are going to beat the Trail Blazers once in Portland and advance to the NBA finals. . . .

Are the Dodgers this good--or are the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals that bad? . . .

It’s time for Tom Lasorda to give Chris Gwynn a spot in the everyday lineup or trade him for a relief pitcher. . . .

Mr. Team Man: Vince Coleman looked disgusted after he had a stolen base wiped out when it was ruled that Milt Thompson was hit by a pitched ball Sunday during the Dodgers’ rout of the Cardinals. . . .

When Dave Winfield reported to the Angels, they were 13-21. Since then, they’ve gone 9-2. . . .

Max Venable should be known as Venerable. . . .

Philadelphia center fielder Lenny Dykstra, who broke up the no-hit bid of Atlanta’s John Schmoltz Sunday, told Dodger broadcaster Ross Porter in a pregame interview recently that vitamins and weight work were responsible for his sizzling start. All the while, Dykstra was puffing on a cigarette. . . .

Hardly anybody else can hit Frank Viola this season, but Eric Yelding of the Houston Astros is six for six against him. . . .

Runs scored is the most underrated stat in baseball. . . .

With the Rangers off to a disappointing start, Bobby Valentine finally may be in trouble in Texas. . . .

Mark McGwire has 27 hits and 28 runs batted in. . . .

Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk and Kentucky Derby winning jockey Craig Perret have proven that nice guys do finish first. . . .

ABC shouldn’t expect a repeat Emmy for its Indy coverage. The telecast matched the race--average, at best. . . .

We kept seeing Luyendyk race around the track the final few laps, but never saw where the second-place car was and how big the lead was. . . .

The way Mario Andretti’s luck is at Indy, he should instead drive in the Grand Prix of Monaco. . . .

Why must they always give us the name of the pilot of the blimp? . . .

The two Australian track announcers, Michael Wrona and John Tapp, have been popular with the crowds at Hollywood Park over the holiday weekend. They’re accurate and clever. My only complaint is that they jabber too much as the horses are being loaded into the gate. . . .

Trainer Gedaliah Goodman will saddle longshot Santangelo in the Hollywood Turf Handicap today. But don’t look for any of his horses to run on Saturdays. The father of a rabbi, Goodman is a Hasidic Jew who doesn’t work on the Sabbath. . . .

Michigan guard Rumeal Robinson was a guest of Don King, who is licensed by the NBA to serve as an agent, at the Pernell Whitaker-Azumah Nelson fight. . . .

Dee-fense, dee-fense: Four members of the first all-NBA defensive team--Dennis Rodman, Buck Williams, Joe Dumars and Michael Jordan--are still playing basketball. Only Akeem Olajuwon’s team was eliminated from the playoffs early. . . .

Big East commissioner Dave Gavitt will accept the Boston Celtic general manager’s job if he is given total control of basketball operations. In other words, no interference from Red Auerbach. . . .

Surprise hit of the tryouts for the U.S. team that will play in the Goodwill Games was Clarence Witherspoon, a 6-5, 240-pound forward from Southern Mississippi who looked like the next Charles Barkley. . . .

Boosting their NBA draft stock the most at postseason camps were Minnesota forward Willie Burton, Texas guard Travis Mays and Jacksonville guard Dee Brown. . . .

A street in their hometown of Cherry Valley, Ark. has been re-named Martin Drive for brothers Jeff and Wayne Martin. Jeff was a second-round pick of the Clippers last year and Wayne a first-round selection of the New Orleans Saints. . . .

The Lakers could do worse than try to make a deal for Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers marksman who will be a free agent at the end of next season. . . .

Grant Fuhr wouldn’t mind being traded to the Kings. The goaltender who watched Bill Ranford lead Edmonton to the Stanley Cup title will be married this summer to an L.A. woman. . . .

Do you know one person from outside Detroit who is rooting for the Pistons to beat the Chicago Bulls?