Harris Edges Upward With Latest Victory

Del Harris moved moved past Billy Cunningham and into 21st place on the all-time coaching victory list Sunday night when the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers at the Forum. It was the latest of what should be several steps upward in the record book for Harris.

In his 11th full season, Harris’ record is 455-413. That includes a 123-72 mark in about 2 1/2 seasons with the Lakers.

Seventeen more victories will put him ahead of Alex Hannum for 20th. He gets into the teens--19th--by passing Kevin Loughery with three more victories after that.

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Sean Rooks will be fined an undisclosed amount for missing practice Saturday. The Lakers are sympathetic to the reason--he was picking up his grandmother at the hospital--and would have given him the day off had he asked for it, but he was a no-show at the workout without letting anyone know, so it became an unexcused absence.

“He understood and was apologetic,” Harris said. “It was a never-happen-again kind of thing.”