Lakers Win, but There’s Less Than Meets the Eye

Here are some reasons why the Lakers’ 117-106 victory over the Spurs in the Great Western Shootout Sunday night might not necessarily have been a preview of their Nov. 3 season opener in San Antonio:

Spurs Coach Larry Brown isn’t expected to start Mark McNamara instead of David Robinson and Mike Mitchell for Terry Cummings, as he did Sunday.

The Spurs won’t be coming off two games in two nights in two time zones, as they were Sunday.

The Spurs seemed more irritable than competitive. Cummings put in a nine-minute appearance before getting himself ejected for consecutive technical fouls. It was the second time he had been ejected in three nights. Brown also drew a technical foul.

Whatever the competition, the Lakers were impressive. They took a 12-6 lead against McNamara and Co., and after Brown put Robinson in, opened it to 27-11. They led as many as 21 in the third quarter.

“This is preseason,” Brown said. “I started Mark so he could get a big hand. He’s back.”

Said Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy: “Hey, I don’t ever question why somebody doesn’t put David Robinson in the game.”

Among the most impressive of the new Lakers, although in a foul-shortened stint, was rookie forward Elden Campbell, who dunked off a lob pass and made several other good plays.

In the first game, the Milwaukee Bucks took an 11-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers and won, 126-96.

The Cavaliers were beaten by the weary Spurs the night before and appeared as if they don’t want to be on this trip, either. Cleveland has 99 turnovers in four exhibitions, suggesting that the Mark Price-Craig Ehlo-Steve Kerr rotation lacks something.

The game was enlivened by the appearance of Cavalier rookie Danny Ferry, the almost-Clipper. The few fans out early entertained themselves by booing Ferry’s entrance and every occasion on which he touched the ball. Ferry didn’t respond well. In one sequence, he turned the ball over in the open court with no one pressuring him. At the other end, he tried a baseline shot that Brad Lohaus blocked.

Said Ferry later: “I should be mature enough to not let something like that (booing) bother me, but maybe it did.”

Wait until he encounters Clipper fans.

Laker Notes

Laker guard Larry Drew suffered an inflamed left knee in the first half and didn’t return. He will be re-evaluated today. . . . The Lakers are 3-1 in preseason, plus own a victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. They will play the Warriors at San Diego Wednesday and the Nets Friday.