Perkins Missed as Lakers Lose : Pro basketball: Mutombo takes advantage as the Nuggets win, 127-115.

The Lakers remain confident that trading Sam Perkins to Seattle for Benoit Benjamin and Doug Christie will eventually work out in their favor.

But for now, Nugget center Dikembe Mutombo can’t comprehend why the Lakers gave up Perkins, who can be an imposing presence as a rebounder and scorer in the low post. And given the Lakers’ struggles during a 127-115 loss to the Nuggets at McNichols Arena on Tuesday night, Mutombo’s curiosity was understandable.

“Sending Sam Perkins away hurt their cause,” said Mutombo, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds. “For me, I don’t understand that trade. Since that trade happened, I don’t believe it. In Sam, you have a complete package: He can score, he can rebound and he can play 40 minutes. How do you send away someone who can play 40 minutes for someone who plays four minutes (Benjamin actually played five)?

“I’m not trying to criticize, but for me I think it was one of the ugliest trades ever in this league. You can go around this league and you will hear the same thing.”

Perkins averaged 17.3 points and 10 rebounds in the teams’ previous three encounters, all Laker victories. He was missed Tuesday, when Denver Coach Dan Issel changed the defense he used in those first three games and had Mutombo guard A.C. Green instead of Vlade Divac. Green had only two points at halftime. Rookie LaPhonso Ellis outplayed Divac and outscored him, 19-8, for the game.

Denver’s switches surprised the Lakers, who never recovered. The Nuggets scored the game’s first eight points and kept the pressure on by holding the Lakers to perimeter shots, a strategy that propelled Denver to a 69-46 lead at halftime.

The Nuggets finished with 56.4% shooting, the best by a Laker opponent this season and enough to lift them to their 12th victory in their last 13 home games and 13th in 20 overall.

“It was a great night for Alex (English, whose jersey was retired at halftime), and it was a great night for Dan Issel, because he made a couple of adjustments that hurt us early,” Laker Coach Randy Pfund said. “Having Mutombo on Green took away our pick-and-roll, and a lot of our success earlier this year came from Vlade and Sedale (Threatt) on the pick-and-roll and (from) keeping Mutombo away from the basket.”

A 13-4 Laker run late in the third quarter cut Denver’s lead to 97-81, and the Lakers pulled within 11 points on Elden Campbell’s layup with 5:15 to play. That spurt ended when Marcus Liberty--who tied Threatt for the scoring lead with 25 points--made a three-pointer for a 115-101 Denver lead.

“We tried to give them a different look, and they didn’t know what lineup was coming,” Mutombo said of the defensive switches. “Coach put me on A.C. because A.C. is a great rebounder and Divac just wants to play basketball outside. I’m a great rebounder, and I like to fight people underneath for the ball.”

Said Divac: “They just had too many fast breaks, too many easy shots. They got us early in the first quarter, and afterward, we can’t come back.”

Pfund challenged his team to come back when he called a timeout with 1:50 to play in the second quarter and Denver leading, 63-44. The challenge went unmet. “That was really the ballgame, the last minute or so,” he said. “This team is playing with a lot of confidence on its home floor. It’s playing very well here, and we knew it would be a tough game for us, but we hoped to make it a better game than this.”

Laker Notes

Anthony Peeler had his best shooting night since returning from a sprained left wrist, making five of 11 and scoring 15 points. . . . Doug Christie impressed his new teammates by dunking in practice Monday. “Everyone was kind of like, ‘Did he do that?’ ” he said. He hasn’t set a target date for his debut, but thinks it can be soon. “I’m a little rusty game-wise, but after I get in and play a few games, I’ll be OK,” he said. . . . Vlade Divac was fined for missing the team bus to McNichols Arena. Team fines go into a fund for a postseason party.