Lakers Keep Suns in Slump

A few things have changed since last the Phoenix Suns and Lakers met.

The Suns have lost all their games.

The Lakers have won all theirs.

Tuesday night, another Laker stepped up in the fourth quarter. This time it was Terry Teagle, who scored 10 of his 14 points as the Lakers beat the Suns in the Forum, 103-95, to run their post-Magic Johnson winning streak to five games.

They also avenged their 28-point defeat in Phoenix on the night after Johnson’s retirement.

“It took them one night to get over it,” Sun Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. “They’ve won five since and we’ve lost six, so who’s hurting?”

The night’s hero was as improbable as the winning streak.

Teagle, a disappointment last season, played 18 minutes in the first six exhibition games and looked destined for the waiver wire.

Thrust back into the rotation, he responded with games of 16, 16, and 15 points before Tuesday.

“Maybe he came back with more confidence,” Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy said.

“The other thing, in training camp, I kinda went the other direction, playing Tony Smith. Terry was left sitting on the bench. That can do funny things to people.”

Said Teagle: “I’ve been in a situation like that before at Golden State, but I came back and did well.

“It’s not about proving my money’s worth. I like to play.”

Like most of the Lakers’ victories in this streak, this one was less artistry and more grit. They have held four of their five opponents under 100 points, which comes in handy on nights such as Tuesday when they shoot 40%.

“I knew they were going to be a solid team,” Sun guard Kevin Johnson said.

“Certainly Earvin led the way, but they’ve got a lot of guys who’ve been winners--James Worthy, Byron Scott, A.C. Green. They’ve been together a long time. They know what it takes to win.

“I didn’t think they’d roll over and die. They’re doing a great job. But at some point, you’ve got to run into the fact that you miss Earvin.”

The Lakers have already run headlong into that fact.

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Dunleavy said. “We understand we’ve got a long way to go.”

The Suns slouched into the evening with their losing streak and an offensive average of 102 points--12 below last season’s.

“We’re just not shooting the ball well,” Fitzsimmons said before the game.

“Jeff (Hornacek, shooting 52.7%) is shooting good. Dan (Majerle, 47%) is hanging in there. Kevin (Johnson, 42%) and Tom (Chambers, 38%) are struggling.”

The Suns came out cold, all right, shooting 33% in the first quarter. Chambers, obviously intent on shooting his way out of his slump, put up 12 shots--and missed nine. On one play, Elden Campbell blocked his 20-footer, then Chambers (en route to a three-of-15 night) picked the ball up, took a 10-footer and had that blocked by Byron Scott.

But the Lakers were blazing away at 35% and led only 22-20.

Laker Notes

The Lakers, still trying to get a waiver of NBA rules that would allow Magic Johson to sit on the bench, moved him to the injured list. With the spot they created, they re-signed Demetrius Calip, the free agent rookie who was cut in camp, called back as he was about to join a CBA team, played the first four games for the Lakers and was then cut again.