Magic Feels Good and So Do Lakers

Earvin Johnson, Magical again, eased into the chair in front of his locker stall Friday night. He had an ice bag taped to his right calf, nursing one injury, and rubbed a large cube around his left ankle, kind of like applying oil to a creaky joint.

And he felt great.

Twenty-two minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks had produced his best showing in about a month, not to mention a 117-95 victory for the Lakers before 17,505 at the Forum. Twenty-two minutes, his second shortest outing this month, had produced the old Magic.

The nagging leg injuries--one to the right calf that briefly sidelined him and one to the right Achilles’ that had caused him to hobble--had greatly reduced Johnson’s effectiveness, all the way to 41.7% from the field with a poor assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.2-4.2 the previous six outings. He looked more rusty after missing about 4 1/2 games than after missing about 4 1/2 years. He looked 36 years old.

But Friday brought a return to form. Not only the game-high 20 points on six-for-eight shooting and eight assists, many dazzling, not only that he thrilled the crowd again and got a standing ovation upon leaving for good in the fourth quarter, but the way he moved.

“I’m running and I’m moving and I feel confident,” Johnson said. “I’m spinning. I’m doing all the things I thought I would be doing after the Dallas game [a month earlier, before the injuries]. I am so happy to be where I am now.”

Consider the Lakers happy too.

Not only a meeting between one team playing well and another falling farther down a well, the game also marked the first time Johnson had faced one of his former coaches, Mike Dunleavy. Pat Riley gets his chance in about two weeks.

The two renewed acquaintances before the game with a hug in the hallway just outside the Bucks’ locker room.

“How you doing?” Johnson said.

“I’ve been better,” Dunleavy said.

No kidding. Still popular around the Forum with the fans and the front office from his two seasons as Laker coach, around Milwaukee Dunleavy is no longer the boy genius lured away from Los Angeles with an eight-year contract to revitalize an over-the-hill Buck team.

By now, late in the fourth season of the rebuilding project, he’s getting heckled at home games and criticized on the talk shows. As if that isn’t enough, the Dunleavy’s-Gotta-Go signs have started to appear. As if that isn’t enough, a couple were spotted during Sunday’s loss to the injury-depleted Celtics in the area reserved for family of players and staff, meaning the freebies came from someone connected with the team.

“I’ve been playing and coaching in this league for about 20 years. I’ve seen it happen to other people,” he said, acknowledging the tough time. “It’s never happened to me before. But I understand it and I can deal with it.”

The Bucks began the night as losers of five in a row and 13 of 16 since the All-Star break, then fell behind by 15 points late in the third quarter. A late sign of life got them within 84-77 near the start of the fourth period, but the Lakers pulled away for good from there.

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Laker Notes

Vlade Divac had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers. . . . Mike Dunleavy, on whether he would have left the Lakers for the Bucks after 1991-92 had Magic Johnson not retired at the start of that season: “I don’t think there’s any way I would have left if Earvin was here.”

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Magic Marker: Tracking Magic Johnson’s comeback

FRIDAY’S GAME

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Min. FG FT Pts. Reb. Ast. 22 6-8 (.750) 7-8 (.875) 20 2 8 SEASON AVERAGES Min. FG% FT% Pts. Reb. Ast. 26.4 .486 .817 14.3 5.3 6.9 CAREER AVERAGES 36.9 .521 .848 19.7 7.3 11.4

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Career averages before comeback

RECORD

LAKERS BEFORE MAGIC 24-18 (.571)

LAKERS WITH MAGIC 16-4 (.800)