It Isn’t the Lakers’ Night--Again--as Knicks Win

Every night, Mike Dunleavy hopes this is the game when his new team will become the Lakers of old. But Sunday night wasn’t it, either.

The Lakers of today went down the stretch with the Knicks, and the Lakers blinked first. The Knicks outscored them, 11-4, in the last three minutes and won, 109-103, before 17,342 at the Forum.

The Lakers are 1-3, their worst start in six seasons, and Dunleavy broiled in public for the first time in his young coaching career.

“It was a disappointing game from the standpoint of turnovers,” Dunleavy said. “Some of them were just unbelievable . . .”

Unfamiliarity with his new system?

“That excuse isn’t going to fly anymore,” Dunleavy said. “How much can you coach, as far as making good passes on outlets? Sometimes I can see it as far as execution, but from the turnover standpoint, it really isn’t acceptable.

“We’ve got a big one coming against Phoenix (Tuesday). We’ve got to make a stand.”

It so happened that after playing his best game, taking 12 rebounds and helping hold Patrick Ewing to 27 points, two below his average, Vlade Divac threw away an outlet pass.

It came with 3:12 left and the Lakers ahead, 99-98. With the new possession, Kiki Vandeweghe hit a jump hook and put the Knicks ahead to stay.

The Lakers started the night well aware of the task at hand: stop Patrick Ewing, second in the league in scoring (29.4), first in rebounding (14.0), first in blocked shots (6.2).

“I call him the Juggernaut,” Knick broadcaster Walt Frazier said before the game. “Offensively, he’s unstoppable. He blocks shots, he’s leading the league in rebounding.

“I used to think Akeem the Dream (Olajuwon) was the best in the league. Now I’m leaning to Ewing. Ewing’s a better shooter. He’s not a better athlete than Akeem, but he has that tenacity on defense.”

Sure enough, the Lakers held Ewing to a mere 15 points in the first half. Meanwhile, reserve forward Eddie Lee Wilkins, who had 15 points all season, tossed in eight more in the first four minutes of the second period while gold-clad figures assembled around Ewing.

When Ewing windmilled a powerful left-handed dunk through, the Knicks led, 41-32.

Magic to the rescue. By the end of the half, he was up to 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists and the Knick lead was down to 52-51.

Laker Notes

The Lakers’ Magic Johnson had his first triple-doule of the season: 24 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists. . . . It had to happen: going into today’s games, Denver’s Orlando Woolridge (31.8) was the league’s leading scorer. . . . Are the Knicks worried that they’re asking too much of Patrick Ewing? “I think it’s a definite concern,” Coach Stu Jackson says. “He has to play so many minutes (he is averaging 39.4) in the early part of the year, toward the end he will be tired.”

When the Knicks let Johnny Newman go to Charlotte, the explanation was that it gave them more flexibility under the salary cap. However, they still haven’t acquired anyone, although they say they want to deal. “There’s a definite need,” Jackson says. Only Charles Oakley or Mark Jackson have significant trade value. Jackson has reclaimed his starting job and is playing well. The Knicks can’t afford to trade either one, but might.

Sunday night’s game was the Lakers’ third non-sellout in three home games. Two seasons ago, they sold out a record 39 of 41 and last season they had 35. . . . the Lakers will play host to Phoenix, last spring’s tormentors, Tuesday night, then make a Houston-Dallas swing.