Lakers Show Style in France, 132-101 : Pro basketball: Limoges players marvel at their opponents. In other game, specter of war is evident as Yugoslav team loses.

Showtime rolled into the City of Light, leaving tire tracks on the home team, which was honored just to get in the way.

Ask the starry-eyed members of the overmatched French champion, Limoges CSP, 132-101 losers to the Lakers. Friday was a night they will never forget.

“We were excited at the idea of playing the Lakers,” forward Stephane Ostrowski said. “It’s the dream of our youth. These players are our idols.

“We in Limoges, we have played once in our life against the Lakers. Lots of people would like to do that. Many good players in basketball never play against such a team.

“We all absolutely marveled at this opportunity. On the floor, we decided just to be spontaneous. We managed to do so--even if it was a 30-point lead at the end of the contest. Even if they were playing the second team much of the time, we were able to show we were not ridiculous.”

The Lakers will play Spanish champion Joventut Badalona tonight for the McDonald’s Open title.

Joventut beat the remnants of the reigning European champions, Yugoslavia’s Slobodna Dalmacija, 117-86, but the players do not delude themselves.

Corny Thompson, a former Connecticut forward and briefly a Dallas Maverick, led Joventut with 28 points, but he doesn’t confuse himself with an NBA-caliber player.

“Do you ever dream of another NBA shot on nights like this?” someone asked.

“No,” Thompson said, laughing. “I’m a European ballplayer. It’s been too long. Just the concentration level they play over there--I’ve been here too long.”

The French players started the game looking as if they didn’t know whether to shoot, dribble, pass or ask for an autograph. They recovered some poise, though, and made enough three-pointers to trail by a respectable 34-29 after one quarter. But Laker depth wore them down.

Limoges is probably the weakest of the four teams here, and the Lakers, now carrying 16 players, will cut four who could be stars here.

Everyone got what he came for.

Vlade Divac, returning to Europe as a conquering hero, made 10 of his 12 shots, all three of his three-pointers and led all scorers with 23 points and all rebounders with 12.

Magic Johnson whistled no-look passes past Limoges all evening, finishing with 21 assists in his 27 minutes. The fans started the night chanting, “Limoges! Limoges!” and ended it chanting “Magic! Magic!”

By then, Johnson was on the bench, letting the reserves finish up. He rose to acknowledge the chant, beaming. Later he thanked the European press corps for receiving him so graciously. The reporters applauded. Chalk up another continent won for Earvin Johnson Jr.

Into this celebration, however, real life intruded.

As soon as their game was over, the Slobodna Dalmacija players unfurled a banner that read: “Stop the war in Croatia!”

The team is from Split, in the breakaway republic of Croatia. Five players from Serbia and Montenegro members have just quit. The team left under the auspices of the European peacekeeping mission and spent 25 hours on ship and bus to reach Treviso, Italy, where it played an exhibition game to finance its season.

“We want to show the world what was going on,” said Slobodna Dalmacija’s Coach Nenand Amanovic through an interpreter.

“This was just a few words designed to express our great dismay and disarray.”

Divac, a Serb, said he applauded the Croats’ sentiments. However their attitude toward him remains ambivalent.

Some Slobodna Dalmacija players spoke with him.

Team captain Velimir Perasovic, once Divac’s roommate on the national team, says he doesn’t blame individual Serbs and considers Divac a friend. But Perasovic has not spoken with Divac here and looked away whenever their paths crossed. At this party, they know something about mixed feelings.