BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS: DAY 3 : U.S. Wins; Magic Is Injured : Basketball: He suffers a strained knee muscle. Croatia’s Kukoc is held to four points in 103-70 American victory.

So much for the pride of Europe.

Toni Kukoc, the finest and highest-paid player outside of the NBA, was held to four points by Scottie Pippen, and the United States cruised to a 103-70 victory over Croatia on Monday night.

Pippen, who had nine assists and 13 points, also played point guard after Magic Johnson suffered a strained muscle in his right knee during the first half.

Pippen might have to get used to the role. A magnetic resonance imaging exam of Johnson’s knee was negative, and his playing status was listed as day to day with a game against Germany on Wednesday looming. The team’s other point guard, John Stockton, is still rehabilitating a broken leg and hopes to play Friday against Brazil.

Kukoc had the misfortune of having been the object of Chicago Bull General Manager Jerry Krause’s affection. Two seasons ago, Krause put Pippen’s renegotiation on hold, saving the money in a vain attempt to recruit Kukoc.

Pippen has since gotten his raise--to $3 million a year--but has the memory of an elephant.

“I wanted the whole world to see us go face to face,” Pippen said.

How about Krause?

“Jerry, definitely,” Pippen said. “I would have ordered him a big-screen TV.”

The 6-foot-9 Kukoc, billed as Europe’s answer to Johnson, found himself up to his eyeballs in angry Bulls. Pippen hounded him mercilessly, all the way back to the half-court line.

Once, Kukoc beat Pippen, got off a 15-foot shot . . . and saw it blocked by Michael Jordan, who triggered a fast break on which Pippen made a fancy layup, freezing a Croatian defender by tossing the ball to himself.

Kukoc took only five shots during the first half, finally scoring on a layup after a U.S. turnover with a second left.

“I was teed off he scored a basket before the half,” Pippen said. “It really teed me off. It was really a lucky basket.”

The Americans came into the game eager to see the ballyhooed Kukoc, even more eager to see what Pippen and Jordan might do to him.

Jordan has fenced for years with Krause and once refused the general manager’s request to talk to Kukoc on the telephone and invite him aboard.

“If he comes to Chicago, he’s part of the team,” Jordan said a couple of days ago, still indifferent.

“If he doesn’t, that’s his decision. I’m not in the business of making peoples’ decisions about life.”

Croatia came out strong. Dino Radja, a 6-9 power forward once drafted No. 2 by the Celtics, made a layup for a 4-2 lead 43 seconds into the game. But the Croatians didn’t score another basket for 9:25.

The Americans ran up a 23-point first-half lead but flattened out, sparing Croatia a real rout.

“This was our big game,” Johnson said. “We thought it was going to be Brazil in Portland, but it never got to that.

“This was the game everybody wanted to see. All the other teams were here. Never happened before. The women’s teams were here.

“This was the first time we’d ever been up this high. It was scary to see. It was like we hadn’t been fed in four-five weeks.”

Kukoc took his whipping gracefully, even declaring that he has decided to play in the NBA and will ask Benetton Treviso, his Italian League team, to release him from his contract in a year.

“I’m sure after this game, I have to work 100% if I want to be a real player in the NBA,” he said.

Did he realize Pippen and Jordan were out to get him?

“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “Both Scottie and Michael, I heard a couple of times, ‘Don’t let him shoot!’

“I never saw that kind of defense before. They play defense in five (team defense). It’s not easy even to pass the ball. Nothing was easy.”

Was he disappointed?

“I think four (points) is enough, the first game,” Kukoc said, smiling.

Now for the critics’ reviews:

Said Johnson: “I think for a big man, he can definitely pass the ball. I think quickness bothers him. One thing I like about him, he knows how to play. . . . I don’t know about big-time player. I think he could be a good player in our league.”

Said Pippen: “Now I guess they see he’s not ready for NBA competition. I’m sure he would improve, but it’s a gamble. They said the same thing about Danny Ferry, and you can see what kind of player he is.”

Said Jordan: “That (Pippen’s critique) is a little bit unfair. The guy had to play against the 11 best players in the league. You wouldn’t see them all at once.”

Said Charles Barkley: “He’s playing in the right place. . . . He’s a very talented player, but he was very afraid tonight. He was scared to put the ball on the floor.”

Having proved another point, the United States moved on.

“It was playoff intensity,” said Barkley. “Not that I’ve been in the playoffs for a while.”

Basketball Notes

Magic Johnson said Toni Kukoc needs to be nastier, but doesn’t think he can be. “You can’t learn that,” Johnson said. “Vlade (Divac) tried to learn that, and he can’t. The first thing that will happen, just like they do to Vlade, they’ll hit him with an elbow and say, ‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’ ”