Magic Is Still Big Shot

Not long after You Know Who had put another notch on his gun belt, making the key three-point shot with 1:20 remaining to seal the Lakers’ 106-96 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday night at the Forum, Jayson Williams was in the Nets’ locker room at the Forum, admiring the view from afar.

“He’s just Magic,” Williams said. “He controlled it. He hit the big three-pointer. He was determined.”

He was tired.

Magic Johnson’s fifth game since returning was an accomplishment in that it was also the finish to his first back-to-back set. He struggled through the 31 minutes, making only five of 16 shots, but that was more than offset by the 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, not to mention the fact that he made it.

“A little tired,” Johnson said after the Lakers needed most of a 21-point lead from the third quarter to win for the 11th time in 13 games. “Couldn’t get it going. I was short on a lot of shots I normally make in the other games.

“It was a good test. I fought through it.”

Consider his coach, Del Harris, ready with the purple heart.

“He did great,” Harris said. “I don’t think it would have said one thing if he had a poor game.

“It was difficult, traveling [from Denver] and playing a back-to-back for the first time after only eight days in the league. But the fact is, he played very well.”

Johnson opened by making a left-handed hook, which has already grown to be a mainstay of his arsenal, but he then missed seven of his next nine shots. Hooks, inside moves, a pair of three-point tries--practically nothing was dropping. He was either tired or just plain off after going 47.5% the first four games back, and neither option was good for the Lakers.

Still, they managed to build an 11-point lead at the end of the opening quarter and were up, 51-43, at halftime while shooting 50%, even with Johnson only three for 10. He did, however, make significant contributions with four assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Johnson’s entrance in the third quarter came at the same time the Lakers pulled away. Some coincidence.

It took all of 14 seconds before his impact was felt. He lobbed a perfect pass toward the basket that Elden Campbell threw down for a dunk while being fouled during an eventual three-point play. The next possession. Johnson drove the right side, was fouled and made both free throws.

Obviously inspired, the Lakers started running after made baskets, earning fastbreak points where there ordinarily shouldn’t have been an opportunity. Finally, Johnson delivered consecutive assists to Eddie Jones while at point power forward, a lob Jones tipped in and a line-drive pass down the lane that Jones tossed in practically with his back to the basket, to cap a 17-5 run.

Johnson had missed all three shots in the quarter, as if anyone cared. He also had four more rebounds and three more assists, and the Lakers had a 78-57 lead.

However, the Nets used a 12-0 run at the end of the quarter to get back into the game.

Laker Notes

So much for being the hottest ticket in town. After three consecutive sellouts of 17,505 at the Forum, the game drew 16,481. . . . Even after playing the three games in four nights, the Lakers are hardly embracing the All-Star break and the rare opportunity for six days off. Not when they could gain some rest but lose some momentum. “We’d rather keep going,” Coach Del Harris said. “When you’re just getting started, a break is not what you’re looking for. But there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t even practice. You just hope the guys keep themselves in shape.” Or, in the case of Magic Johnson, continue to work into shape. “I’m really more concerned with the conditioning of the other 11,” Harris said. “I know Earvin will work his tail end off the next six days.” . . . The announcement Monday that the late Kresimir Cosic had been elected to the Hall of Fame was also good news to one of his former pupils, Vlade Divac. “Great,” the Laker center said. “I’m so happy. I wish he was still alive to accept the honor.” Cosic, who was drafted by the Lakers in 1973 after a standout career at Brigham Young but never played in the NBA, coached Divac as a teenager on the Yugoslavian national team, a squad that also included Drazen Petrovic, Dino Radja and Toni Kukoc.

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Magic Marker

Game 5--Tracking Magic Johnson’s comeback:

Wednesday’s Game

Min.: 31

FG: 5-16 (.313

FT: 7-8 (.875)

Pts.: 18

Reb.: 9

Ast.: 8

*

Season Averages

Min.: 30.8

FG: .429

FT: .826

Pts.: 17.8

Reb.: 7.2

Ast.: 7.8

*

Career Averages

Min.: 36.9

FG: .521

FT: .848

Pts.: 19.7

Reb.: 7.3

Ast.: 11.4

*

Record

Lakers before Magic: 24-18 (.571)

Lakers with Magic: 4-1 (.800)