Showtime Comes to Irvine in Scott’s Charity Game : Basketball: Laker guard’s squad of teammates and ex-teammates falls to Mark Eaton’s NBA stars, 146-143, in Bren Center.

Showtime? In Irvine?

Off the opening tip, to Byron Scott . . . three! From the left wing, Scott for two. With the first dunk of the evening, A.C. Green for two. Swooping under the net for a reverse layup, Kurt Rambis for two.

And who says there’s no defense in the pros?

On the other end . . . with the monster block . . . Vlade Divac.

It’s 9-2 Lakers, and it’s Showtime! Or is it? There’s no mousse in that coach’s hair. There’s an Anteater on the court . . . and the Lakers lost. The ersatz Lakers, anyway.

A team of NBA stars captained by Utah’s Mark Eaton rallied to defeat Scott’s Lakers and Co. squad, 146-143, in Scott’s fourth “Challenge for Children” charity basketball game at the Bren Center Friday night.

Showtime? Scott considered it a reasonable facsimile.

“It was almost like the Lakers out there,” Scott said. “It was almost a family reunion.” Almost. But Rambis plays for Phoenix. Orlando Woolridge, another former Laker, plays for Denver. Michael Cooper plays in Italy.

Scott missed Cooper in particular Friday, and not only as a backcourt buddy. For the first time, Cooper wasn’t around to help Scott stage his benefit game.

“It felt real weird,” Scott said. “He’s been such a big part of this since the beginning. In your professional career, you’re going to see some changes. But it’s very tough to lose people you care about.”

But the festivities went on without Cooper, and the Lakers have gone on without Rambis. The Lakers will go on without Woolridge and without Cooper, and no one knows that better than Rambis, torchbearer for the Laker alumni Friday night.

“I had a great time,” Rambis said, “but it wasn’t that strange. It’s the reality of the game. I wasn’t crying when I left the Lakers. It was a good opportunity for me to move on, and that’s the way the team has to go about it. They want to win.”

So does Rambis, but he asks that you hold off on the NBA season for a while longer.

“This,” he said with hands on hips after the game, “shows me just how far out of shape I am.”

Eric Leckner, the seven-footer from the Sacramento Kings, drives the lane, passes off, and sets a screen for Chachi. You remember Chachi, from the TV series “Happy Days.” He’s Scott Baio, one of the celebrities chosen to play with the NBA stars Friday.

So there was Baio, with the ball and the screen from Leckner. He made an eight-foot jumper and the crowd went wild. Next time down, Baio got the ball at halfcourt, dribbled a couple times and attempted an outrageous three-pointer, hitting nothing but air. This time, the crowd booed.