Boos Don’t Bother Former Laker Green : Suns: He and Worthy claim their shoving merely is what they used to do in practice, but there is a definite edge to it now.

Eight years as a Laker, seven minutes in another uniform.

That’s how long it took A.C. Green to go from Forum favorite to villain. Given a mixed greeting before the game, Green proceeded to engage former teammate James Worthy in several first-quarter shoving matches, and the crowd began chanting a two-word suggestion to Green that A.C., the born-again Christian who used to ask teammates not to curse, would have found improper.

“Just playing a game,” Green said. “That’s how we always played in practice.”

Said Worthy: “Just having fun like we always do, whether it’s practice or playing a game. We used to do it practicing against each other. Some things never change.

“It’s been like that for eight years. I expected it. I knew once we got on the floor, it’d be like that, the kind of competitor he is.”

The kind of competitor that Green was didn’t practice all week because of a bad back but went out Friday night and scored 25 points and had eight rebounds.

Green, working on a 567-game streak, ninth longest in NBA history, was listed as questionable. Before the game, he wore a device with electrodes taped to his back, but said he would play.

Then he lay down on a training table to get a massage.

His new teammate, Charles Barkley, walked over, then punched him in the back.

“Tell them what you said the other day at practice,” Barkley said, “about how bad you hated those years here and how bad Jerry (West) and them treated you.”

“As we know,” Green said, “the gospel according to Charles.”

Could Green think of a Laker who reminded him of Charles?

“Oh, gosh,” said Green, laughing. “Please.”

Green then proceeded to praise the newly remodeled dressing room.,

“They did it with all the money they saved by not signing you,” Barkley said to Green.

In case Green had missed it, life among the Suns revolves around Barkley, although he hasn’t yet asked Barkley not to swear.

“He’d be stopping practice every second with Charles on the floor,” Danny Ainge said, laughing.

“I think he classifies that as Mission: Impossible.”

Said Barkley, obviously not looking forward to the day: “I’m 30 years old, I’m pretty much going to do what I want.

“I don’t tell people what to do. We all lead our own lives. What other people do might not be my thing. . . .

“I don’t care what he does, long as he plays well. I just want players, I don’t worry about what they do, as long as it’s legal.”

Before the game, Green went looking for Worthy to say hello, but couldn’t find him. Instead, he bumped into him on the floor midway through the first quarter and the two started yelling at each other.

More pushing and shoving was followed by another collision on the last play of the first quarter. Worthy shoved Green away, and several Suns stepped into Worthy’s chest.

At the end of the third quarter, the two started yelling at each other again and were assessed technical fouls.

The fans chanted at Green all over.

“I don’t want you guys to write your stories like that,” Green said later. “I’m sure there were some fans doing what they always did, cheering. Make sure you write the whole story.”