NBA PLAYOFFS : Lakers Are Outmuscled Inside : Western finals: They get only 28 rebounds to 51 for the Trail Blazers in a 109-98 defeat that evens the series.

There is some joy in Mudville. They can call in the guards from the bridges over the Willamette River.

The Trail Blazers are alive.

The beleaguered home team jumped all over the suddenly faint Lakers, outrebounding them, 51-28, and winning, 109-98, Tuesday night to even the Western Conference finals at one game apiece.

The Lakers did an amazing job of staying close, given the fact that the Blazers were booting them all over Memorial Coliseum.

Byron Scott made all four of his three-point tries. Magic Johnson sank three. Defying the percentages, the Lakers were within 100-96 in the last 2:30.

But they don’t call them percentages for nothing. The race is not to the slow, nor will the heavyweight championship of the West go to a bunch of finesse players.

Sam Perkins grabbed 10 rebounds, Johnson seven and all of the other Lakers combined for 11.

Laker center Vlade Divac had six personal fouls--and two rebounds.

Are there Lakers who are getting pushed around who are going to have to push back?

“Ohhhh, yeah,” Johnson said. “You got it.

“It can’t happen this weekend (the series resumes at the Forum Friday and Sunday). I told ‘em, too.

“The Blazers came out pushing and shoving and we were backing up. Come Friday, we can’t be doing that.”

Johnson indicated that he hadn’t been subtle in his constructive criticism.

The Lakers came out strong, taking an 11-5 lead and forcing Trail Blazer Coach Rick Adelman to call an early timeout.

As those go, it was highly productive. As soon as play resumed, Clyde Drexler batted away Divac’s pass to Johnson, and while Johnson glared at the center, Drexler took the ball to the other end of the floor and made a two-handed reverse dunk.

That began a 27-12 run closing the first period, putting the Trail Blazers ahead, 32-23. After that, they played like the team that had lost Game 1 and the Lakers played like the team that had won Game 1.

At the half, the Trail Blazer rebound advantage had gone from dominating to embarrassing. The numbers were 37-15.

“I didn’t think it would be that much,” Adelman said later, “but I really thought we were going to go get them after that.

“We have three guys, Clyde, Jerome (Kersey) and Buck (Williams) who are about the best rebounders at their position as there is in the league. If you’ve got three players like that going to the boards, you’re going to do all right.

“I remember one play, Jerome went right over two of their players. That’s Jerome.”

The play occurred early in the third period. The two Lakers were Perkins and Johnson, who had uncontested rebounding position when a Cliff Robinson three-pointer came out a little long.

Neither Laker seemed to react. Kersey came flying in between them, grabbed the ball, put it back in, was fouled and completed the three-point play.

Johnson walked away talking to himself. It was that kind of night.

It could have been another kind of night, since the Lakers were sharpshooting their way back into respectability. Within moments of Kersey’s feat, the Lakers tied the score, 64-64, on Scott’s third three-pointer of the night.

It was tied at 66-66 and 68-68 before Terry Porter, who made 12 of 15 shots, sank a three-pointer that put Portland ahead to stay.

The Trail Blazers made sure Scott wasn’t left by himself often; he settled for 12 shots overall, of which he made eight. In the series, he is averaging 19.5 points and shooting 71%.

“I didn’t think he was ever going to miss,” Adelman said. “It’s so hard. We talked about not leaving him open, but it’s a game of mistakes. When he finally missed a shot in the fourth quarter, I thought, ‘Now we’re going to win the game.’ ”

What can the Lakers do?

Ask Dunleavy. He might trade the Lakers’ ability to hang in for a little routine rebounding.

Laker Notes

The Lakers’ 28 rebounds tied their franchise playoff low. . . . Terry Porter led all scorer with 26 points, shooting 12 for 15. In Game 1, foul trouble limited him to 26 minutes. “I definitely didn’t bring my hatchet,” he said.” . . . James Worthy-rumor season is on again. With the Charlotte Hornets winning the first pick in the draft lottery and Worthy’s contract extension still unsigned, there is speculation that he will be traded as part of a package for the top pick. . . . Said Laker General Manager Jerry West: “James Worthy will finish his basketball career in all likelihood in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Sometimes it’s hard to get the contract down when you’re talking about a lot of money.” Said Worthy Monday: “I’m going to try not to get suspicious. obviously it (the contract) hasn’t been done. You can put two and two together if you want.”