Lakers Win; West and Threatt Honored

They played the first NBA exhibition in West Virginia in five years Tuesday, but the night belonged to Jerry West and Sedale Threatt.

West and Threatt were honored for their standout college careers in the Mountain State at halftime of the game won by the Lakers, 105-104, over the winless Washington Bullets at the Charleston Civic Center.

West, the Lakers’ general manager, played at West Virginia and Threatt at West Virginia Tech. Threatt was inducted into the West Virginia Tech Hall of Fame at halftime. He is still the Montgomery school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,468 points.

In the game, Vlade Divac sank the winning free throw with 43 seconds left.

Rex Chapman brought the Bullets back from a nine-point deficit with four baskets in a 3:18 span, including a 20-footer from the left wing that tied the score, 104-104, with 55 seconds left.

Divac then sank the go-ahead free throw, and he blocked Calbert Cheaney’s layup with 30 seconds left to preserve the win. Chapman missed a fadeaway shot from the right wing at the final buzzer.