Haley Is Center of Attention : Lakers: Third-stringer hits some key baskets in 93-91 victory over 76ers.

Road-weary and thin, the Lakers needed someone to step up and found it in the person of . . . Jack Haley?

Yes, Haley, occasional center and constant cheerleader, who had a total of 10 points with the season a month old. Saturday night he made his first start for the Lakers, scored 11 more points and took 10 rebounds as they beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 93-91, running their record on this trip to 3-1.

Haley did most of his damage in the third quarter against 7-foot-7 Manute Bol, shocking everyone by suddenly turning on Bol for a 17-foot jumper, hitting it, getting fouled and making the free throw.

The six Laker players on the bench fell all over each other in delight.

A moment later, Haley hit a six-foot hook over Bol.

This time, the players on the bench staged a full-fledged celebration, some of them rolling on the floor while the game continued.

Said a Philadelphia writer sitting nearby: “Those guys sure are loose.”

The Lakers have won 10 of 11 games, few easily, and take their laughter where they find it.

“OK, I laughed,” Sam Perkins said. “But what Jack did was what we needed.”

Said Terry Teagle: “Jack was putting on a performance out there. He hit that first one and he started to take that second one. I said, ‘No Jack, not that one!’ When he hit it, I told the guys on the bench, ‘I’m going to have to apologize to Jack.’ ”

Nobody apologized to Haley, but his teammates did help him do postgame interviews.

“He’s a scorer,” Tony Smith assured writers. “That’s just a scorer’s mentality.”

The Lakers were playing their fourth game in five nights, but this one had “opportunity” stamped all over it. Philadelphia superstar Charles Barkley was out because of sore ribs and the 76ers had lost five in a row.

The 76ers hadn’t scored 100 points in any of the five, including three in which Barkley played.

Two of their first four shots were air balls. The Lakers’ first four shots went in and they soon led, 14-4. But 76er Coach Jim Lynam put Bol in, pressed and caught up.

The Lakers went on a 13-4 run to start the second half, but Lynam threw Bol in again like a relief pitcher shutting down a rally. The Lakers went 3:56 before they scored their next basket.

They led, 67-63, when Haley hit his turnaround 17-footer on Bol and then made the free throw completing his three-point play. A moment later, Sedale Threatt stripped Ron Anderson, starting a break that James Worthy ended with a dunk. Threatt, who started his career here, next stole the ball from Bol and at the other end, Haley made his hook over Manute. Suddenly it was 74-63.

The Lakers led, 91-81, with 2:21 left but made two consecutive turnovers on inbounds plays and watched the 76ers slice it to 93-90.

The 76ers had two chances at a tying three-pointer. On the first, Threatt swatted the ball off Hersey Hawkins’ foot and out of bounds.

On the second, Threatt fouled Johnny Dawkins trying a three-point shot at the end of the game. Dawkins went to the line with no time left for two meaningless free throws and made one.

“The bright side,” Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy said, “we had trouble with half-court inbounds plays earlier and we did a lot of work on them. Now we have to work on full-court inbounds plays.’

Dunleavy’s new center, the former letterman in surfing at Huntington Beach High, said his sister Sondra, the deputy press secretary to Barbara Bush, had been in the stands.

“I think it gave me added incentive,” Haley said, “with the White House staff out there.”

Laker Notes

A.C. Green and 76er forward Jayson Williams were ejected after bumping chests and squaring off on an inbounds play with 50.5 seconds left. Said Green: “As far as that specific incident is concerned, I don’t remember what happened.”