NBA NOTEBOOK : Laimbeer’s Long Shots Not Quite Enough

Records were set or tied Thursday night, but none was better than the six three-point baskets by Piston Bill Laimbeer, losing effort or not.

“It was a great performance,” teammate Isiah Thomas said. “Too bad we had to waste it.”

Laimbeer, a 6-foot-11, 245-pounder who has made his tough-guy reputation playing inside but leaves his offensive mark with outside jump shots, was one of two on three-pointers in the first quarter. He was zero for one in the third quarter. In the fourth, he went two for two, 35 seconds apart that first tied the game and then put Detroit ahead, 89-86.

By sinking three of four attempts in overtime, he finished six of nine, the most memorable numbers in a game in which he totaled 26 points and 11 rebounds. The six three-pointers tied the finals mark of Michael Cooper, the Laker guard who made six against the Boston Celtics on May 27, 1985.

Other Game 2 achievements:

--The nine three-point attempts by Laimbeer broke Cooper’s record of eight, done twice.

--Portland’s Terry Porter went 15 of 15 from the line to set a finals record for most successes without a miss. Magic Johnson had the former mark of 14, set May 16, 1980.

--The eight three-pointers by the Pistons broke the team record of seven held by Boston since the May 27, 1985, game against the Lakers.

--This was the first overtime in a finals since the Celtics beat the Lakers, 129-125, June 6, 1984, at the Forum.

--The loss broke Detroit’s playoff winning streak for 1990 at 10 and overall at 14. Both tied previous marks.

One Piston streak survived. This was the fifth time that Detroit loss when an opponent has scored at least 100 points.

Piston James Edwards may have snapped out of his shooting slump by starting five of five and finishing 13 of 23 for 26 points, but Vinnie Johnson continues to struggle.

He came in having made just two of 21 attempts the previous three games, going back to the Eastern Conference finals against Chicago. Thursday, he went one of four.

Portland took advantage. Trail Blazer reserves outscored their Piston counterparts, 20-13, though Drazen Petrovic led with the way with only eight points.

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at Portland, where the Pistons have lost 20 in a row, a streak that dates back to Oct. 19, 1974 and includes a 20-point defeat this season.

NBA Notes

The Pistons say they will again show road games during the finals on the big-screen television at the Palace, with the $3 admission going to charity. Impressively, Game 4 last year against the Lakers at the Forum drew a sellout crowd of 21,454. . . . In reaction to the death of Hank Gathers, the NBA is using more extensive heart examinations during the final scouting combine for pro-bound college players. The tests Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago revealed that one player had cardiovascular abnormalities that could put his future in the sport in question, according to Northwestern University physician Mark Upton, who helped administered the screenings. The player’s name is being withheld and more thorough evaluations are planned.

Vice President Dan Quayle attended the game. . . . The 15 points in the second quarter tied a Piston low for points in a quarter in the playoffs. . . . Don Casey interviewed Wednesday with Atlanta Coach Bob Weiss regarding a spot as an assistant with the Hawks. . . . The Phoenix Suns have determined Kevin Johnson has a muscle imbalance in his leg that caused two separate incidents of hamstring problems, including one that forced him out of Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. Weight training is expected to correct any problems.