Lakers Get Caught on the Rebounds : Pro basketball: Bucks dominate the boards to extend winning streak over L.A. in Milwaukee to six years, 126-94.

It could be a hot day in December before the Lakers win another game here. This wasn’t it.

The snow was ankle deep, the weather was cold, the Lakers colder. The Bucks manhandled them on the boards by an embarrassing 24-8 in the first half Tuesday night and manhandled them on the scoreboard, 126-94, running their losing streak here to six years.

The Lakers haven’t won here since Dec. 18, 1985.

This was their worst defeat anywhere since April 22, 1990.

“What can I say?” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “They just kicked our butts.

“The telling stat, in the first half they outrebounded us, 24-8. We shoot 54% and we’re not even in the game.”

The Lakers started the night the NBA’s fourth-worst rebounding team. Dunleavy has asked for greater contributions all around since Magic Johnson left, but only A.C. Green and Byron Scott have stepped up their rebound totals.

“That’s a weakness we have right now,” Dunleavy said. “We just have to make sure we block out. That’s our only hope really now.”

The possibility of acquiring reinforcements?

“There’s not a shelf in the supermarket where you can say, ‘I want a rebounder, a shooter, a point guard,’ ” Dunleavy said, grinning. “It’s not that easy. I wish it was.”

The Lakers were within 25-21 near the end of the first quarter when Moses Malone, of all people, shoved in a half-court shot to beat the buzzer.

This made three buzzer-beating three-pointers the Bucks had made against them in their last four quarters of play.

Said Dunleavy: “I’m a believer.”

After that, the Lakers faded away, despite knowing everything the Bucks were going to do. Dunleavy comes from Buck Coach Del Harris’ staff and uses similar defenses and terminology.

Once Dunleavy called a Milwaukee zone press before the Bucks even put it on.

“One-two-one-one!” Dunleavy yelled.

Buck center Danny Schayes, on the floor, yelled at Dunleavy: “Hey, don’t tell ‘em our plays!”

Forewarned in this case meant nothing. The Lakers got only a long jumper by Scott against the press, which he missed.

The Bucks got the rebound--surprise!--ran it back upcourt and Schayes scored on a layup.

Unlike their other recent games, the Lakers never managed a sustained rally. Maybe it was a bad night in a historically tough place to play. Maybe the remarkable emotion with which they built their winning streak has burned off.

“I think it has on the road,” Scott said. “I think we’ll continue to have it at home, but it’s tough on the road.”

Said Dunleavy: “I hope not. Basically what happened, we ran into two teams (Boston and Milwaukee) who are incredibly deep and ready to play. This is six years now here. It’s not like it’s been an easy place to play in the past.”

Laker Notes

Jack Sikma, the retired Buck center and a man the Lakers were interested in, attended the game--and said he intends to stay retired. “I know Mike (Dunleavy) from Milwaukee,” Sikma said. “We’re close friends. I talked to Mike today. He asked me, ‘What’s on your mind?’ I told him, ‘Mike, I don’t think I want to play any more.’ ” Sikma said he was contacted last summer by the Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Seattle SuperSonics. He lives in Seattle and says he got a good offer from the Sonics but turned it down because he wasn’t sure he wanted to play any more.

A.C. Green led Laker scorers with 24 points and rebounders with six. . . . The Lakers were outrebounded, 47-24.