Lakers Get One More for Road

The Lakers, a whipped and depleted band when they left home a week ago, guaranteed themselves a winning trip Saturday night by finally shaking off the Washington Bullets, 92-89.

They did it by making all 12 of their free throws in the fourth quarter and are 3-1 with one game left at Indianapolis Monday.

Before the trip, they had gone 3-11 since the All-Star break, 2-6 in the Forum.

They were leaving home without James Worthy.

“Sometimes it really is easier to play on the road,” Byron Scott said. “Nobody expects you to win. It’s almost like you’ve got nothing to lose. You go out and play and have fun. Everybody’s against you anyway.”

One week doesn’t make a bench, but that’s how long it has been since Dunleavy said the Lakers would make the playoffs if they could find one consistent player in reserve.

Since then, several Lakers stepped forward.

Chucky Brown posted back-to-back season highs in New York and Atlanta.

Saturday, Vlade Divac came off the bench for his best game in two weeks, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. He even dived on the floor for a loose ball.

Tony Smith scored 13 points against the Bullets, six in the fourth quarter.

“Maybe before I was scared to try something,” Divac said. “Before, I have it in my mind I have to be careful. But now I feel terrific.

“I spoke to him (Dunleavy) before the game. I told him when I have 10 points and 10 rebounds, not just in one game but in every game, that will mean I’ve come back.”

Dunleavy told Divac to be more aggressive.

Sure enough during the game, Divac asked Dunleavy to run a play for him, pointing to the Bullets’ 6-8 Larry Stewart, telling Dunleavy: “He guards me.”

Sure enough, Dunleavy ran Divac’s play.

The first time, Vlade passed off. Dunleavy ran it again and this time Divac wheeled around Stewart and threw down a windmill dunk.

The Lakers arrived early Friday morning after their 109-107 overtime loss at Cleveland, determined to bounce back.

They seemed about to take control several times . . . but never could.

They took five-point leads in the first and second quarters, but the Bullets chased them down, even without the benefit of a shooter. Pervis Ellison, hit in the groin against Minnesota on Friday night, missed everything longer than a layup in the first half and Michael Adams went three for 10 all night.

Only Washington’s scrappiness could explain the fact that the Bullets led at the half, 47-45.

The Lakers then hit them with a 10-0 run to start the third quarter.

Sure enough, the Bullets ground their way back in, taking a last lead on Ledell Eackles’ 15-foot jumper with 7:41 left in the game.

But the Lakers went on a 6-0 run--two 15-footers by Smith, two free throws by A.C. Green--and got the lead for good.

The Bullets kept fouling them down the stretch, but the Lakers kept making their free throws: Scott with 21 seconds left, Green with 15 seconds left, Divac, a 65% foul shooter this season, with six seconds left.

“I think this shows what type of guys we have,” Dunleavy said. “Guys with good, strong character who won’t quit. You can’t say whether you’re going to win or lose. All they’re saying is they’re going to try.”

Late Saturday night, Divac even chatted amiably with Robin Ficker, the man who sits behind the visitors’ bench and harangues them all night and in whose behalf the NBA instituted a rule whereby a disruptive fan can be ejected.

Ficker tried a few words in Serbo-Croatian.

Divac corrected his pronunciation.

Home is where you find it.

Laker Notes

Bullet Coach Wes Unseld, upset at the officiating: “What does A.C. Green do to demand 14 free throws?” . . . The Lakers shot only 37% from the field but made 37 of 41 from the line. The Bullets were 12 of 18. . . . Sam Perkins on the Laker turnaround: “Our defense has probably been winning a few of these games for us. It’s certainly not our offense.” . . . Mike Dunleavy says the Lakers will wait for the next evaluation of James Worthy by doctors before deciding whether to sign a player to take his place. They have been at 11 players since putting him on the injured list Monday.