Lakers Barely Make Game of It : Basketball: Knicks control three of four quarters for a 92-78 victory. Ewing has 29 points and 19 rebounds.

There are the Knicks, and then there are the cuts and bruises.

The Lakers got them all at once Tuesday night, when even a great comeback couldn’t beat down New York, which got 29 points, 19 rebounds and six blocked shots from Patrick Ewing to hold on for a 92-78 victory before 14,147 at the Forum.

The Lakers got the consolation prize, their pride, no sure thing early on.

After scoring only 31 points by intermission, two shy of the team record low for a half, and after trailing by 20 points in the third quarter, they found, of all things, a game.

Their comeback got as close as close as 62-60 with 10:29 left . . . and then ended as abruptly as it started.

“We were just embarrassed (early),” said Sam Bowie, who, with Vlade Divac limited to 11 minutes because of a lingering hand injury, started and responded with a team-high 20 points. “That had a lot to do with it. When we came out for the start of the second half, Coach (Randy Pfund) really got on us for our lack of intensity.

“We didn’t have much fight. That was the last word he put on his piece of paper--fight. I thought we did.”

But by 6:41, the Knicks had an 11-point advantage again, which held this time. When they ran that to 82-66 with 4:47 remaining, the game was in hand, this time for good.

Maybe because they are so rare, one every regular season, any appearance by Knick Coach Pat Riley at the Forum makes it seem like old home week. But to him it’s just that--his old home.

“It’s been four years,” he said before the game. “My heart is in New York. The passion’s there. My life’s there. My family, everything.

“It was very difficult the first time. That nightmare, that first game we played here, what was it, 81-61 or something like that? (Actually an 81-68 loss.) It was an unbelievable experience, but I don’t have those feelings now when I come back here to play.”

This time through, at least, the blowout was at the Lakers’ expense--or so it seemed.

When the Knicks put together a 15-1 run late in the second quarter, it was worth a 49-29 lead. Ewing was only five of 12 from the field at that stage, but still had 14 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.

The Lakers didn’t score their 40th point until 5:32 remained in the third quarter. Once there, though, they found their stride, turning a rout into a game again thanks to a 19-2 rally led by Bowie, James Worthy and seldom-used James Edwards.

That cut the Knicks’ 55-35 edge to 57-54, before Greg Anthony’s driving layup ended the quarter and pushed the lead back to five points. New York made only three of 18 shots during the quarter and was outscored, 23-10.

New York outrebounded the Lakers, 61-37. Charles Oakley had 12 rebounds and Anthony Mason nine for the Knicks.

Laker Notes

The Lakers waived forward Trevor Wilson before the game, but that was also bad news for James Edwards, who was hoping it would be him. “I was praying,” a disappointed Edwards said. The 16-year veteran, relegated to rare appearances as third-string center and 12th man, had asked to be released if he wasn’t going to play, but the Lakers, having already seen Portland’s Chris Dudley and the Clippers’ Stanley Roberts go down with serious injuries this season, opted for the security of Edwards. Portland, Golden State and Minnesota would have had some interest if he became available. Edwards’ agent, Reggie Turner, was so set on getting him released that he contemplated a grievance against the Lakers, claiming that Wilson wasn’t really hurt, which could have forced them to activate the former UCLA standout or cut him. They chose the latter and kept Edwards. He might have another chance when Kurt Rambis is cleared to return from the injured list. Wilson averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds while starting in four of his five appearances, but he went on the injured list with tendinitis of the right Achilles’ when Elden Campbell returned.

Pat Riley saw Magic Johnson before the game. “Can you play?” Riley said. Replied Johnson, laughing: “Don’t even start.”