SuperSonics Overmatch Lakers Despite the Return of Christie : Pro basketball: Kemp scores 30 points and has 14 rebounds to lead Seattle to 129-101 victory.

First the good news for Laker fans.

After missing the final seven exhibition games and the regular-season opener because of a sprained ankle, Doug Christie returned to action at Seattle Center Coliseum. He scored 13 points in 18 minutes and experienced no pain.

Now the bad news.

The rest of Saturday night.

“That was not a good effort,” Coach Randy Pfund said after the Seattle SuperSonics beat the Lakers, 129-101, before a capacity crowd of 14,813. “I don’t know where to start looking for reasons. Whatever they are, they’re excuses.”

The Lakers were outrebounded, 46-32, and outshot, 61.4%-44.6%. Seattle forward Shawn Kemp had 30 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in only 31 minutes. Nate McMillan had 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. The SuperSonics conducted layup and dunking drills for stretches at a time.

“We didn’t execute offensively,” said Laker guard Nick Van Exel, who followed Friday’s 23-point showing with 19. “They took us out of everything we wanted to do. And they did everything they wanted to do.”

It was left to Seattle native Christie to supply the upbeat reports, even after continuing the bitter relationship with local fans because of the extended contract holdout last season that forced his trade to the Lakers. Getting booed didn’t feel as bad because at least he was playing.

“I felt OK,” he said. “I didn’t have any legs under my shots, especially at the end. Overall, they still hate me up here, and the feeling is mutual.”

The buildup for this night was considerable here, in light of the off-season acquisitions of Kendall Gill and Detlef Schrempf--already a local favorite from the University of Washington--and after getting within a victory of the NBA finals last season. The SuperSonics looked ready, too.

Memories of the Lakers’ impressive season-opening victory over Phoenix the night before lasted about 12 minutes, by which time Seattle led, 34-23. The flood lights inside the building, turned off for a pregame laser show to introduce the SuperSonics in their debut, had barely returned to full strength.

Despite playing without Ricky Pierce, their leading scorer last season who was out because of a sore right ankle, the SuperSonics pushed the advantage to 20 points late in the second quarter, 60-40. It was 63-47 at halftime, and Kemp already had 17 points and seven rebounds.

The final margin was 28 points, the second-largest by Seattle over the Lakers. The worst? The last game here, April 23.

Laker Notes

If Antonio Harvey’s path from undrafted rookie free agent from an NAIA school to Laker opening-night starter within several months has been intriguing in Los Angeles and around the NBA, it has been downright captivating around Misenheimer, N.C. Friends from Pfeiffer College flocked to dorm lounges and homes around town Friday night to watch as Harvey made his pro debut against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, thankful it coincided with a national broadcast that began at 10:30 p.m. in the east. “It wasn’t quite like when the team made the Final Four Antonio’s junior year,” Pfeiffer Coach Bobby Lutz said. “They used a satellite dish and fed the games from Kansas City to our gym. That was a real party atmosphere. This was a close second, though. The postman, he was asking you about it. The guy on the corner, he was asking. Everyone was real excited for that game.” Lutz and Harvey speak about once a week and talked late Friday after the game. “He said A.C. Green asked him, ‘Where are you from,” the coach said. “Antonio told him, ‘Pfeiffer, and that’s with a P.’ So maybe he’s letting people know he plans to be around a while.”

On the other hand. . . .: George Lynch, the first-round draft choice who played all 140 games at North Carolina and never missed a game in high school, did not play in his first pro contest. Lynch couldn’t remember the last time he sat out an entire game because of injury or coach’s decision. “It was worse than weird,” he said. “It was tough sitting there. I’m glad the team got the win. That was the only good thing about it.” Lynch is playing behind Harvey and Kurt Rambis at power forward, and that’s with preferred starter Elden Campbell on the injured list. Lynch played 15 minutes Saturday, getting six points and two rebounds.

The 23 points by Nick Van Exel against the Suns were the most by a Laker rookie to start a season since Magic Johnson had 26 against the San Diego Clippers on Oct. 12, 1979.