Lakers’ Road Takes Them to First Place : Pro basketball: Easy victory over Orlando is their eighth in a row. Divac remains at home in hospital for tests on back.

Nobody knows where this streak will end, but it wasn’t in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom East.

The Lakers, now without Vlade Divac, toyed with the Orlando Magic, running up an 18-point lead and winning as easily as a team can on the road, 98-87, Tuesday night, running their post-Magic Johnson streak to eight games.

If the streak isn’t improbable enough, try this: The Lakers (9-3) are in first place in the Pacific Division, after Seattle defeated Golden State (9-4) in overtime.

Divac, who was to remain behind only for tests on his sore back, checked into a hospital in Los Angeles Monday--and was still there Tuesday night. He was to undergo a myelogram, in whichdye is shot into his spinal column so doctors can look for structural damage.

“I’m not real optimistic about having him back,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said before Tuesday’s game.

“I think he’ll be out a little while--or a long while.

“I’ve had a bad back. That’s why I stopped playing. In the past, he hasn’t had pain down his leg, and now he’s got pain down his leg.”

The Lakers, who had outrebounded one team all season, then outrebounded the Magic, 47-43. They trailed only at 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 all evening, leading for the last 42:53. They had an 18-point lead with 5:01 left and won without being seriously challenged.

Once again they played smothering defense, and once again they played like demons.

“I think something has come out of this (Johnson’s retirement),” Dunleavy said. “Obviously a big part of us has been taken away, with the closeness of the players. But we said: ‘There’s nothing you can do about it. Even if we had all the money in the world, which we don’t, you can’t replace Magic Johnson. What we can do now is go out and play as hard as we can every night.’

“That’s the way we’ve gone about it.”

Or as James Worthy said: “We can’t afford to start wondering if we’ve got something going or think about the streak. We just have to play as if we were a last-place team.”

Worthy had 25 points and five assists Tuesday. A.C. Green had another big night off the bench, 16 points and nine rebounds.

Byron Scott, who played 10 seconds of the fourth quarter in the last game, missed seven of nine shots in the first half but recovered to score 20 points--with nine rebounds.

Everywhere you look, you can see Lakers forced to do things they haven’t done in years, or in their pro careers alongside Johnson.

Scott, who spent his seasons shooting open jumpers, is now taking the ball to the basket in traffic.

That’s only one of his adjustments. Leadership is another.

“We had a tendency in the past to have so much confidence we got lazy,” Scott said. “That’s one thing I’m going to make sure as a co-captain (Dunleavy appointed him after Johnson retired) of this team doesn’t happen.

“James is a quiet leader. He says I’m like the daddy. I’m the one who can do all the disciplinary things. Not that that’s a surprise. I’ve always said my piece.

“When Earvin was here, it was us three. Now it’s minus one.”

If you looked at the scoreboard, you couldn’t tell.

Laker Notes

The Lakers have now allowed an average of 92 points in the streak. They have held seven opponents below 100 points, four below 90 and one below 80. . . . With the game lost in the second half, the home crowd chanted “We want Brian!” for newly signed No. 1 pick Brian Williams from St. Monica High and Arizona. Williams made his second pro appearance and scored his first NBA basket. Said Williams: “I was trying hard. As the season wears on, I should progress and be brought in at more opportune times.”

With the Magic offense stagnant, Coach Matt Guokas used veteran Sam Vincent for the second time, benching Scott Skiles for most of the game. Vincent scored 11 points, took 10 rebounds--then volunteered to accompany the Lakers to Miami. “I’ve heard the rumors about the Lakers’ interest,” Vincent said. “If the Lakers decide that I’m worthy to play in a Laker uniform, I’m not going to complain.” Actually, no one had heard anything about the Lakers being interested in Vincent. Said slumping Skiles: “In football, it’s the quarterback and in a case like this, it looks like it’s me. I’m big enough to handle it. I’ve been through tough times before.”