Magic Gets His Hooks in Dallas

By SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER

Feb. 17, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Jason Kidd, who came to play against his idol, and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks lasted into the fourth quarter Friday night, then got hit by a flurry.

“The guy showed you right hook, left hook, then uppercut,” Laker Coach Del Harris said.

Mostly, Magic Johnson stayed with the hooks. He hit those with either hand and from either side of the lane and made driving layups, a three-point shot and a critical assist, then made the Mavericks the latest notch on his belt by scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a 119-114 victory before 17,505 at the Forum.

Johnson finished with a team-high 30 points, a personal season best, and 11 assists and eight rebounds in only 31 minutes. He went 10 of 15 from the field and nine of 10 from the line. He committed only three turnovers.

“Just another night’s work,” he quipped later.

If you consider playing the entire fourth quarter, making seven of 11 shots and scoring more points than any Laker in any quarter this season average.

“You’ve got to have a feeling,” he said. “You have to decide when the point is, and then you’ve got to start going.”

Johnson had already scored all of his points when he finished it. After being double-teamed, he passed to Cedric Ceballos for a three-point basket with 16.3 seconds left that all but took care of Dallas, giving the Lakers a 117-112 cushion.

The Mavericks couldn’t get off the canvas after that.

Kidd, who had 12 assists but made only two of 12 shots, didn’t even try to pass this off as simply another game, saying about an hour before tipoff that the opportunity to match up with Johnson, who has rarely played point guard since the return, would be a “special moment.” At least.

“One of the many dreams I’ve been living has been fulfilled,” Kidd said. “To play against my idol.”

With Johnson playing power forward, there weren’t many chances for true encounters. When one developed, with Kidd leaving Nick Van Exel to double team about 10 feet out on the right side, Johnson made it a passing moment, spotting Van Exel cutting down the lane and delivering a one-bounce assist.

That basket, with 4.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter, capped an 18-7 run by the Lakers over the final 6:01--which coincided with Johnson’s entry. It also provided a 32-24 advantage.

If the pass was something of a lesson, it wasn’t the first. Johnson had played the mentor role for years, sometimes in conversation, other times in a summer pickup game, and Kidd has played in Magic’s charity game at the Forum. The two had grown close, making this a special game for Johnson too.

Kidd missed all five field goals and had as many turnovers as assists (five) that first quarter. The shooting woes continued into the second half, but his passing and defense--he blocked Sedale Threatt’s layup late in the third quarter--helped the Mavericks turn a 12-point deficit in the second period into a three-point lead heading into the fourth.

Laker Notes

Magic Johnson continues to draw praise from opposing coaches--and their frustration at his ability to get calls from officials. A game after Atlanta’s Lenny Wilkens made note of Johnson’s frequent trips to the line, Dallas Coach Dick Motta joined in. “The refs haven’t forgotten him, have they?” Motta said after Johnson had 10 more free throws. Counters Laker Coach Del Harris: “It’s part of coaching to try and get an edge. If Joe Jones gets some calls in his favor and the coach complains, maybe next time they play he’ll only get one or two calls. It’s all gamesmanship. Lenny hasn’t won almost 1,000 games without learning some gamesmanship.” Johnson is averaging 9.1 free throws a game, sure to rank among the league leaders. “If he’s a player for you, he’s creating breaks,” Harris said. “If he’s a player against you, he’s drawing all the breaks. It all depends.” . . . Cedric Ceballos made 13 of 21 shots and scored 27 points. . . . Jason Kidd, on the Mavericks’ plunge from a 5-1 team the last time they came to the Forum to one on lottery pace: “A long ride? That’s a nice way to put it.”

* ANOTHER MAGIC NIGHT

The Orlando Magic tied an NBA record with its 27th consecutive home victory and Shaquille O’Neal made his first three-point basket. C4

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Magic Marker

Game 7--Tracking Magic Johnson’s comeback:

FRIDAY’S GAME

*--*

Min. FG FT Pts. Reb. Ast. 31 10-15 (.667) 9-10 (.900) 30 8 11

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SEASON AVERAGES

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Min. FG% FT% Pts. Reb. Ast. 32.0 .488 .797 19.1 7.7 9.0 CAREER AVERAGES 36.9 .521 .848 19.7 7.3 11.4