A Not-So-Grand Return for Riley: Lakers Win, 81-68 : Pro basketball: Knicks hit an all-time franchise low in points, allowing L.A. to end losing streak at seven.

Showtime, it wasn’t.

Pat Riley returned to the Forum as coach of the New York Knicks Wednesday night and saw them score 68 points, their all-time franchise low. His Laker teams used to get that in a good half, and this Laker team gratefully took advantage for an 81-68 victory that ended its losing streak at seven games.

On the positive side for Riley, the return to the Forum was finally over.

“I’d been thinking about this ever since the season started,” he said.

“I knew I had to come here and coach a game. It was hard on me. It was probably hard on my players.”

Something was.

His five starters scored 36 points.

The Knicks’ 12 points in the third quarter were their season low.

Their 14 in the first quarter were their third lowest of the season.

Patrick Ewing missed 14 of his 18 shots and scored eight points.

The Lakers, having already set a record for consecutive losses since they moved here in 1960, pulled up one loss short of the franchise record of eight by the Minneapolis Lakers of Vern Mikkelsen, Larry Foust and Slick Leonard in 1958.

“Obviously, we didn’t want to have the all-time record all to ourselves,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said.

The Lakers started the night without a victory in 15 days, so Riley’s presence wasn’t foremost on their minds.

But he was still there.

“It’ll be interesting,” Byron Scott said before the game.

“Myself, James (Worthy), A.C. (Green), we won a lot of games under him. We won a lot of championships. Now he’s trying to lead another team. We’re going to go out and try to beat those guys, make ourselves feel good.”

Said Magic Johnson: “It’s going to be difficult for him, once he walks down this hallway and enters the arena. It’s going to be emotional when they introduce him and the crowd goes crazy.”

Riley made his entrance moments before the game, and the crowd started applauding as soon as he left the tunnel.

His Knicks didn’t have such a grand start.

They missed 15 of their first 16 shots and the Lakers led from the opening tap. It was 22-14 after one quarter, 43-34 at the half.

The Lakers led, 65-46, starting the fourth quarter. The Knicks got within nine but no closer.

For high jinks between the old comrades, there was Green’s hip-check of Riley as he was inbounding the ball in front of the Knick bench.

Riley hip-checked him back. “It seemed like old times, for sure,” Green said later.

Notes

Vlade Divac returned with a dramatic flourish. Playing for the first time since undergoing back surgery Nov. 27, he exceeded his projected 10 minutes, scoring nine points with seven rebounds in 19 minutes. . . . To make room for Divac, the Lakers placed Keith Owens, who fell on his right elbow, on the injured list. . . . Divac, whose contract is up after this season, on speculation he might return to Europe: “It’s 50-50. I prefer to stay here but business is business.” . . . James Worthy led all scorers with 27 points. After going five weeks without shooting 50% in a game, Worthy is 28 for 48 in his last three.

CHAMBERLAIN TAKES ILL AT REUNION: Wilt Chamberlain, at the Forum for a reunion of the 1972 Lakers, is taken to Centinela Hospital and admitted for observation after complaining of feeling ill before the ceremony. C8

MAGIC LOOKS AHEAD: Magic Johnson says there is a 50-50 chance he will play next season--either in Europe or the NBA. C8