Magic's Everywhere in Lakers' Victory

By SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER

Feb. 5, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The world learned Sunday night that Magic Johnson should not always be believed.

All this talk about how he isn’t nearly as mobile after gaining 30 pounds during the 4 1/2-season layoff, about how his game is about black-and-blue marks now. And then came the third game back, an impressive 110-103 victory for the Lakers over the hot Utah Jazz, and Johnson was exposed.

He jumped around just fine. From power forward to small forward to shooting guard and back to the frontcourt again. He had never run a transition game like this before.

One of those 6-foot-9, 225-pound point guards who used to hang around couldn’t have done it much better. All Johnson did was contribute a team-high 21 points--thanks mostly to going 15 of 18 from the foul line while struggling at three of eight from the field--seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes off the bench.

“I liked it,” Johnson said after dazzling another capacity crowd of 17,505. “I’m learning more and more.”

In a hurry.

Coach Del Harris had wanted to play Johnson at small forward and shooting guard Friday against the Bulls, largely to boost a poor showing on the defensive boards, but Magic stayed mostly at power forward because he wasn’t familiar enough with the plays. The exception that night was a fourth-quarter stretch at point guard--he felt comfortable there for some reason--when he took Steve Kerr on defense and was guarded by Ron Harper.

Saturday, he practiced as a swingman, the positions interchangeable for the most part in Harris’ system. Sunday, he went for real.

Johnson’s first entrance, with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter, was at power forward. Before the end of the period, he had guarded three Jazz big men--Karl Malone, Antoine Carr and Greg Foster.

He started the second quarter there, but Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell soon were also on the floor, so Johnson went to small forward and matched up with Adam Keefe, himself a former power forward making a succesful transition to help the Jazz. Magic went out with 6:02 left.

He came back in with 2:45 to play in the half--at shooting guard. Utah didn’t bite, assigning a small forward, David Benoit, to defend him, but Jeff Hornacek on Cedric Ceballos still earned the Lakers a desired mismatch, even if at an unexpected place.

Come the third quarter, Johnson was back at small forward, joined up front by Divac, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Derek Strong. In the fourth, he was back at the power spot.

“That’s what we want,” Johnson said. “We wanted that versatility. That will make us one of the best teams. We had three guards, myself--who is really a guard--and one big man out there for a while, and that was one of our best lineups.”

Said Ceballos, who still managed 36 minutes, 18 points and seven rebounds at small forward and, briefly, shooting guard: “You can’t really relegate him to one spot on the floor. Just put him on the floor. That’s enough for us.”

Malone, who questioned whether Johnson should play in the NBA during Johnson’s aborted 1992 comeback attempt, was booed loudly during pregame introductions and off and on the rest of the night.

One problem about all the bad feelings: Johnson and Malone talked it out years ago, today are friends, and Malone has come out in support of this return.

Johnson even went so far as to compliment Malone for his stand, noting after the game: “He said something maybe everybody else wanted to say. So give him him credit. He stepped up. He’s a man.”

Said Malone, tired of the questions before Johnson even announced his return: “I’m glad I played him. Now I won’t have to answer any more questions.”

And the crowd reaction? “The fans can boo me, I don’t care. It makes me play better actually . . . I’ve never backed down from a challenge before and I won’t start now.”

Malone finished with 39 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs.

Laker Notes

The Lakers, tongue firmly in cheek, nominated Magic Johnson for the NBA’s player of the month award for January. “Hey,” said assistant P.R. director Raymond Ridder, who submitted the name for consideration after Johnson had 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds Tuesday against the Warriors, “he almost averaged a triple-double for the month.” Effective campaigning. Ridder said one person from the league office voted for Johnson. Another comeback kid, Michael Jordan, won the award. . . . Highest confirmed price paid for seats to the Chicago game: $5,000 each for three courtside tickets between the Bulls’ bench and the baseline. . . . This was Del Harris’ 800th game as an NBA head coach. Only 18 others have reached the milestone, eight of whom are active, led by Bill Fitch of the Clippers at 1,849.

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Magic Marker

Tracking Johnson’s comeback:

SUNDAY’S GAME

*--*

Min. FG FT Pts. Reb. Ast. 31 3-8 (.375) 15-18 (.833) 21 7 6

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SEASON AVERAGES

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Min. FG FT Pts. Reb. Ast. 30 (.457) (.808) 18.3 6 6.3

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CAREER AVERAGES