Lakers React in Anger

By SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER

March 25, 1996 12 AM PT

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

This time, Laker players turned their back on Cedric Ceballos.

Stung by a 103-94 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night before 17,505 at the Forum, what should have been the easiest outing in a brutal five-game stretch, Nick Van Exel ripped Ceballos in terms rarely used publicly between teammates and Magic Johnson said the episode has him reconsidering his decision to return for 1996-97.

Forgive and forget?

“Not really,” Van Exel said after the Lakers announced Ceballos’ return effective today and then lost for the third time in four games. “He abandoned us. A time like this, this is a time we’ve all got to stick together.

“It’s going to be hard. We’ve got a team captain who just walks out.”

Will Johnson be next?

He said he will wait until the offseason before making any decision, but just the fact that he now needs time to decide anew the announcement he made three weeks earlier indicates plenty. Mainly, his level of frustration.

“Maybe I won’t throw myself back into next season,” he said. “I don’t know.

“You know what I’m about. It’s hard for me to deal with all this. It’s just hard for me. I’m too old.”

Clearly, the Lakers’ two team leaders were not pacified by Ceballos returning earlier in the day for a meeting with management and a news conference to explain that family matters forced his disappearing act. Sympathetic to a personal problem, yes. Buying it, not exactly.

Ceballos, known to separate himself from players, was never exactly a favorite in the locker room to begin with, even if they did respect what he brought to the court. Then they hear about him going off to Lake Havasu? Big mistake at the Lake.

“I thought he’d be out making albums or something,” Van Exel said.

That was in reference to Ceballos’ extracurricular recording career. Now he’s got a new rap, it’s just that it comes from teammates.

“I think a lot has to come off everybody’s chest,” said Johnson, who started at small forward for the second game in a row and had 28 points and eight rebounds. “A lot has to come off my chest and my mind.”

Making matters worse Sunday, the Lakers also had to go without Vlade Divac, home because of tonsillitis. That moved Corie Blount into the opening lineup at power forward, his second start of the season, and Elden Campbell to center, although the two positions are interchangeable in Coach Del Harris’ system.

Divac’s condition worsened as the night went on, so he may not be along when the Lakers leave this morning to begin a six-game trip at Orlando.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Magic Marker

Tracking Magic Johnson’s comeback

SUNDAY’S GAME

*--*

Min. FG FT Pts. Reb. Ast. 39 9-12 (.750) 9-10 (.900) 28 8 5

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SEASON AVERAGES

*--*

Min. FG% FT% Pts. Reb. Ast. 28.4 .492 .823 14.9 5.5 6.7

*--*