Perkins Steps Up in Lakers’ 108-103 Win

If the Lakers thought they had seen hard times, they paled before Thursday night when James Worthy was arrested and his teammates went out to see if they could avoid another loss and their worst start in 28 years.

Then Worthy rejoined them.

“I mean, God bless him,” said Magic Johnson after Worthy scored 24 points in the Lakers’ improbable rally in regulation and 108-103 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets.

“I don’t know what happened. James still showed up and helped us get the win. We’re all behind him. Doesn’t matter what happened--for him to come out, it showed a strong individual who cares about us.”

Other Lakers stepped up.

Sam Perkins, the $3.2-million man, booed in the Forum while shooting five for 17 in his last two games, scorned openly by Akeem Olajuwon before this one, started in Worthy’s place. He scored his Laker-high 29 points and hit the three-point basket with 11 seconds left that forced the overtime.

This same Perkins is going into the starting lineup tonight at Dallas, in place of A.C. Green.

OK, so he shoved his three-pointer wildly at the hoop from 24 feet out while falling backward and banked it in.

“By design,” said Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy. “It was supposed to be a four-point play. He got fouled.”

Said Perkins: “It went in. I thought the chances were slim, to tell you the truth. It just happened to be straight.”

It also just happened that Olajuwon had told the local media that when the Lakers got rid of Orlando Woolridge and signed Perkins, “I didn’t really understand what they were trying to accomplish.”

To which Olajuwon added: “I think their record speaks for itself.”

The Laker record was 1-4, so it’s unlikely he was complimenting Perkins.

Was Perkins mad?

Nah.

Perkins, who has been critiqued once or twice in his career, said he wouldn’t have been mad even if he had known about it, which he didn’t.

“Let me tell you something,” Perkins said, “I play the game without pressure. I take the good with the bad. I don’t worry what someone says because they’re going to say it anyway.

“Akeem--if that’s his opinion, that’s his opinion.”

Maybe Olajuwon has a different opinion now.

The game was wild and wooly all night. The Lakers trailed most of the game and by 94-89 with 1:33 to play.

With 1:20 to play, Mychal Thompson hit two free throws.

With 1:06 to play, Houston’s Vernon Maxwell made one of two free throws.

With 1:04 left, Otis Thorpe was hit with a technical foul for wrestling Green to the floor. Johnson made it, cutting the lead to 95-92. But Worthy hit the back of the rim on a drive across the lane.

The Rockets got the ball back, but Sleepy Floyd launched what seemed like the 100th long jump shot they took Thursday, and missed. The Lakers rebounded, called time out and designed the play that broke down and wound up with Perkins making his three-point shot from the seat of his pants.

Johnson blocked Kenny Smith’s layup on a last drive down the lane. The game went into overtime.

With the Rockets ahead, 101-100, Johnson hit a one-hander from 18 feet.

The Rockets then messed up an in-bounds play all by themselves, the ball going through Maxwell’s hands.

At the other end, Worthy hit a 16-footer for his 23rd and 24th points and a 104-101 lead. The Lakers increased it to 108-103, but Worthy’s basket turned out to be the decisive one.

“Out of some of the biggest adversities come some of the biggest changes,” Dunleavy said later. “Tonight we had some. Our guys came back. Hopefully, this is the start of a big run for us.”

Johnson, who’d uncharacteristically ducked out early after the last loss, reintroduced himself to the Laker press corps.

“Now I can talk to you,” he said, beaming.

Someone suggested that if he stuck around long enough, he’d see everything.

“I don’t want to stick around any more,” Johnson said, still smiling.

Laker Notes

Magic Johnson: 24 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds. It was his second triple-double in three games. He missed making it three in a row by one rebound in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix. . . . Johnson has made 56 of 59 free throws this season, 94.9%. . . . Rocket Coach Don Chaney did the Lakers the favor of benching Kenny Smith (11 for 20, 24 points) for Sleepy Floyd (two for seven, five points) for most of the fourth quarter. Said Chaney: “Sleepy was playing well and we’d gotten a lead with him.”