Lakers Thrown for a Loss, 117-88

The game turned so fast the Lakers got whiplash.

One second, guard Sedale Threatt was driving for a layup to cut a fourth-quarter lead to seven points, the next, after first being grabbed and then getting bumped, he was on his back. And then, after no foul was called, Coach Mike Dunleavy was on the court, chewing out referee Joe Forte on his way to a two-technical ejection early in the fourth quarter. And then center Michael Cage made a jump shot, sending the Seattle SuperSonics on their way to a 14-2 run.

The result was a 117-88 Seattle victory Tuesday night before 12,335 at the Coliseum.

With the loss, the Lakers plunked their big toe into the lottery well and, well, it wasn’t pretty. In one week, the three-game lead over Houston for the last playoff spot is now half a game after the Rockets won at San Antonio.

The Lakers have seven games remaining to hold on, the next three at home, but their ship is taking on water.

Where did it get away? The Sonics would argue that their swarming defense, the was one that swamped the Lakers at the Forum last Friday, was the difference.

The Lakers would argue their world turned on a play involving Threatt, who was on his way to a sure hoop that would have cut the Sonics’ lead to seven points with 11:24 left.

The Lakers claim there were two fouls on the play. Dunleavy was screaming for a foul in the open court on forward Nate McMillan, who appeared to be attempting to foul Threatt intentionally to prevent an easy basket.

“If you look at the play, it was right out in the open court,” Dunleavy said afterward. “He (McMillan) was trying to take the foul. He put two hands on his shoulders. I can’t believe three guys (officials) missed it. It was in the open court. It’s not like it was in traffic.”

Threatt doesn’t remember McMillan, but he does remember Seattle forward Shawn Kemp, a moment later, stuffing the shot with two hands as Threatt drove to the basket.

“He said, ‘Yeah, I fouled you,’ ” Threatt recalled of his conversation with Kemp.

Kemp said he doesn’t remember saying that.

Dunleavy charged the court to confront Forte, who didn’t waste much time before the ejection.

Dunleavy went to a TV production vehicle to watch replays of the alleged foul, to see if he wasn’t overreacting.

He said he wasn’t.

“I saw it 27 times in the truck,” Dunleavy said.

Dunleavy said later he was trying to get thrown out to inspire his team. Instead, he inspired Seattle. Instead of the Lakers cutting the lead to seven on potential Threatt free throws, the Sonics went the other way with the ball and went up by 11 on Cage’s jumper.

Two technical shots, courtesy of Dunleavy, made it a 13-point lead. With 7:34 left, the lead had swelled to 25 on a basket by Kemp.

While the Lakers were reliving the game’s turning point, the Sonics were stalking them to all corners of the court on defense. Last Friday, the defense forced 25 Laker turnovers. Tuesday, it was 18.

Laker Notes

Two days after his 30-point performance Sunday, Vlade Divac scored just eight points in 28 minutes. Sedale Threatt led the Lakers with 18 points, although he made only six of 18 shots. . . . Seattle is 8-2 without center Benoit Benjamin, who is on the injured list with a broken right hand. Benjamin is expected back for the playoffs. . . . The Lakers close the season against San Antonio, Utah and Denver twice, Sacramento, Portland and the Clippers.