Lakers Can’t Find Spark to Get Past New Jersey

No sooner do the Lakers put out one fire than another ignites.

They found a temporary answer to their problem at center by starting Sam Perkins and moving Vlade Divac to the bench, but another problem developed Tuesday night when Sedale Threatt--their leading scorer--missed all seven of his shots from the field.

That wasn’t the only flaw during their 106-91 loss to the New Jersey Nets before 16,467 at the Meadowlands Arena, but it was typical of the inconsistency they have shown this season.

Net Coach Chuck Daly’s 500th victory became a certainty late in the third quarter, when Derrick Coleman scored eight of his 23 points and Kenny Anderson scored eight of his game-high 28. A 46-41 halftime lead had increased to 72-60 after three quarters and the Nets led by as many as 20 in the fourth.

“A team makes a push at you for a double-figure lead and you can’t let them get that kind of lead,” said A.C. Green, who scored 16 points. “Before you know it, it’s up to 15 and you’re in a well and you can’t even see daylight.

“We’d better get to the drawing board and start playing hard and start playing like men and get the job done. That’s what it’s all about. You’ve got to put aside pride and personal agendas and do the j-o-b.”

Daly’s team did the job on the backboards Tuesday, outrebounding the Lakers, 56-33. The Nets also shot 50% from the field, recording their seventh victory in nine games and making Daly the 15th NBA coach to win 500 games. He has lost 320 during stints with Cleveland, Detroit and the Nets.

“It’s a nice milestone. I like the fact that I survived to get them,” said the 62-year-old Daly, who led the U.S. Olympic basketball team to a gold medal at Barcelona last summer. “I’m happy it is over because the focus should be on the team. It’s all about being together and trying to do a good job on the court and trying to improve.”

The Nets’ play improved as the game wore on Tuesday. James Worthy scored 12 points less than nine minutes into the game but New Jersey’s defense tightened and Anderson sparked the New Jersey offense.

Threatt’s woes and Divac’s three-for-11 effort off the bench helped drop the Lakers’ shooting percentage to 39.5%, their second-worst this season. They were only 19 of 28 from the free-throw line.

“I’m not embarrassed from the standpoint that the Nets are a good team, but we can have guys go from 20-point games to next to nothing,” Laker Coach Randy Pfund said.

“Sam (Perkins) has a triple-double the other night and (Tuesday night) he’s two for 10. And when Sedale (Threatt) struggles for shots, it’s because they blitz and trap him. But he had a few open looks today. We have talked about pushing the ball up the floor and trying a few other things, but that’s unusual for him, to not get his shots.”

Threatt credited the Nets’ defense for containing him, but he acknowledged the Lakers haven’t found their rhythm this season.

“I’ve got to hit my shots outside, because I really can’t drive,” Threatt said. “They’ve got a big guy in the post, a big guy on top and there’s nowhere for me to drive. . . .

“The Nets are a good team, but I think we’re just out of sync. Right now, I think everybody’s a little lackadaisical. We’ve got to turn it around.”

Laker Notes

Tuesday night’s victory by the Nets, coupled with their 100-98 decision over the Lakers Nov. 25 at the Forum, gave them their first season-series sweep of the Lakers since they entered the NBA in 1976. . . . Duane Cooper’s eight points were a career high. . . .The Lakers have shot below 50% from the floor in nine consecutive games. They are 12-18 this season when they’re below 50%. . . . Alex Blackwell, who attended nearby Monmouth (N.J.) College, made a late appearance Tuesday night. He made a layup at the final buzzer after missing two layups.