Speaking of Comebacks, the Lakers’ Falls Short

Magic Johnson’s Laker teammates gave him a bronze bust and a life-size statue.

They wanted to come from 22 points behind and give him a victory over the Boston Celtics, but their rally died a point short and they lost, 114-107, Sunday before 17,505 in the Forum.

They were within 104-103 when Sedale Threatt stole the ball from Reggie Lewis and started a fast break--but missed an open 15-footer.

The Lakers have now lost three in a row. They are 19-18 since Vlade Divac’s surgery, and Divac’s return has been set back for another two weeks.

“He looks a long way off,” said a Laker official who watched Divac practice Saturday. “I don’t see the cavalry coming over the hill.”

Sunday, the Lakers mounted a charge. For their fans, that was the good news.

“That’s really all you can ask for--but not for 24 minutes,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “Forty-eight minutes’ worth.

“The first half was unacceptable. The second half was acceptable.”

Oh yes, the first half . . .

The Lakers shot 39% and were outrebounded, 24-16.

They trailed, 51-29, with 5:14 to play in the second quarter.

When Chick Hearn, hosting the halftime retirement ceremony, promised to keep it short so they could get back to the game, the crowd booed.

“I know how you feel,” Hearn said. “It wasn’t exactly a boat ride where I was sitting.”

In other words, it was like the Lakers’ performance in Friday’s 16-point Forum loss to the Bullets.

The Lakers won’t say they are tired, but they are thin and overextended. With James Worthy struggling and Byron Scott 17 for 47 in four games, their half-court offense has slowed to a halt.

When their one consistent recent scorer, Sam Perkins, started one for seven Sunday, leaving a collection of short hooks and layups on the rim, it ground to a halt entirely.

It was No. 5 guard Tony Smith, rising from the bench for his second appearance in five games, who led their second-half rally.

Smith has struggled with playmaker duties and as a shooter, but he is a fine defensive player and he put teeth in the Laker press.

“That (pressing) is something we may have to do more of,” Dunleavy said. “In our situation, short-handed as we are, it’s tough to get the guys to play every night, (to get) the good games out of Sam and James that we need.”

The Lakers, trailing by 19 early in the third quarter, closed to 87-78 starting the fourth.

With 4:38 to play, Perkins made a layup to make the score 104-100.

With 3:54 to play, A.C. Green made one of two free throws, cutting the deficit to 104-101.

With 3:17 to play, Smith knocked the ball away and passed to Worthy for a dunk, making the score 104-103.

Then came Threatt’s steal--and miss from 15 feet. He scored 22 points and made nine of his 17 shots, but this one was short.

“That’s a shot I usually knock down,” Threatt said. “I went up looking for James, but they backed off me and covered him.”

Tonight the Lakers will be in Oakland, where Golden State would be favored even if the Lakers weren’t playing their fourth game in five days. On Sunday, the highlight reel that was the Magic Johnson era seemed a long time ago.

Laker Notes

Larry Bird, on Magic Johnson’s decision to have the ceremony Sunday so he could participate: “It made me very proud. I felt like he was part of the championships I won and I was part of the championships he won. We were keeping a running tally there for a while. Even though they’d get beaten in the playoffs, it didn’t matter. You had to keep going and get that ring, so you didn’t waste a year. . . . I just wish Red Auerbach and Bill Russell were here. After all the things said about the Celtics and the Lakers, everybody would have been here.”

Robert Parish, at 38 seven years older than any Laker, scored 21 points, took 11 rebounds and made 10 of his 12 shots.