NOTES : Here’s a Superstition West Might Rethink

Laker General Manager Jerry West was here for an NBA predraft camp, but he didn’t attend Game 2 of the NBA finals.

“He’s superstitious, but I think we all are to a degree,” said Mitch Kupchak, Laker assistant general manager. “Even if he was here on vacation, he still wouldn’t come to the game. I think he thinks it’s more important, and it probably is, to go to the predraft (camp) and look at players that we might have a shot at, either in the draft or through free agency.”

West didn’t even stay at the team hotel.

“He’s staying somewhere else,” Kupchak said. “The arrangements were done months ago, so he’s staying where we had planned on staying.”

If there is anything to West’s superstition, one can only imagine what the final score would have been should he have shown up at the game.

When the Bulls set an NBA finals’ record by making 61.7% of their shots, they broke the mark of 61.5% set by the Lakers in Game 2 of the 1987 finals against Boston. The Lakers won that game, 141-122.

Will Laker assistant coach Randy Pfund leave the team after the finals to join Pat Riley’s New York Knick staff?

“I’m concentrating on what’s going on here,” Pfund said. “That’s my first interest, getting us a championship. But I’m flattered by the talk. I’m open. I’m in the last year of my contract and I’d be willing to sit down and have those conversations once we get done. But right now, I have to stick with what we’re doing here.”

Riley hired Pfund, 33, before the 1985-86 season after assistant Dave Wohl left to coach the New Jersey Nets.

If the Lakers win the NBA title, they would receive $810,625 and the Bulls would get $648,125. If the Bulls win, they will divide $828,125 and the Lakers $630,625.

The winning team in the NBA finals receives $545,000 and the losing team $365,000. Each team has already received $193,125 for the first three rounds of the playoffs--$46,875 for the first round, $55,000 for the conference semifinals and $91,250 for the conference finals.

In addition, the Bulls got $90,000 for the best record in their conference, and the Lakers got $72,500 for having the second-best record in their conference.

Mychal Thompson is flattered by all the attention, enjoying the notion that although he has played in only eight of the Laker playoff games, he’s still one of the two stars on the marquee.

Oh, you mean that’s Magic and Michael ?

“It’s kind of nice, people finally realize that I play on the same team as Magic,” Thompson deadpanned. “NBC is aware of it. The world is aware of it. But I’m ticked off because people keep spelling my name wrong. It’s M-y, not M-i.”

Completing his 12th season, more than any other Laker, this Mychal finds his career winding down. He’s talking about playing two more seasons and would like to be able to see more action, but admits the lure of playing for a title contender is strong. If his current employers want him back, it’s an even bigger factor.

“I feel better than I’ve ever felt,” he said. “Especially this year. I haven’t been playing, so I’m well preserved. It’s been like sitting in a pickle jar.

“If I could get another ring, I wouldn’t mind sitting around. Another one after this year.”

The continuing saga of Scott Williams and his right shoulder took another turn Wednesday afternoon when he apparently made a wrong turn while resting in bed, causing the joint to dislocate.

The reserve forward has been bothered by similar incidents all season. The time, he forced the shoulder back into place about four hours before game time, drove to Chicago Stadium and got help from the Bulls’ medical staff. He skipped pregame shooting warm-ups and then played 15 minutes, making his only attempt from the field, grabbing three rebounds and taking a charge on Magic Johnson.

Suddenly, there were four former North Carolina players making an impact on the series.

“In the first game, James (Worthy), Sam (Perkins) and Michael (Jordan) all had outstanding games,” said Williams, a rookie. “Williams? He didn’t get in. Tonight, I showed I should be able to play at this level.”

The Bulls went into Wednesday’s game with six players shooting better than 50% in the playoffs: Will Perdue 56%, Horace Grant 54.9%, Bill Cartwright 54.6%, Michael Jordan 51.6%, Scottie Pippen 51.2% and B.J. Armstrong 51.6%.

Discounting seldom-used Thompson and Elden Campbell, the Lakers had three: Sam Perkins 59.8%, Vlade Divac 55.3% and Byron Scott 52.9%.

After they were beaten by 21 points in Game 2 of the NBA finals, the Lakers accused Chicago guard Michael Jordan of taunting them.

“We noticed Michael taunting our bench,” guard Byron Scott said. “That’s not something you do early in the series.

“It got us upset and we’ll be ready at home.”

Director/actor Spike Lee, who filmed Michael Jordan’s commercials for an athletic shoe company, attended the game.

For what it’s worth: Teams that have won Game 2 of the finals have won 28 previous finals and lost 16.

No team has ever lost the first two games of the NBA finals on its home floor, a streak that the Bulls maintained Wednesday.

Times staff writer Scott Howard-Cooper contributed to this story.