Laker Magic Numbers: 500, 11

The 11-0 Lakers gave Delmer W. Harris his 500th NBA coaching victory Sunday night at the Forum. They beat the 1-12 Clippers.

That’s OK. It still counts.

Harris got a cake and a champagne shampoo from Corie Blount and a couple of his players. He is now only 428 wins behind Bill Fitch, who still has time to get within three of his 1,000th this season, if the Clippers can go off on a 69-game winning streak.

What was your first win, Del?

“My first? Let’s see . . .

“If I remember right, my first game was at Boston.”

The year was 1979. Houston had a new coach--Harris. Boston had a new player--Larry Bird.

“It was my first game and it was Larry’s first game. I think the Celtics beat us by six.”

(No, by eight, actually, Del, 114-106. Even though Moses Malone scored 31 for you.) Up to then, Harris’ job was to sit by Tom Nissalke for three years and tell him how many timeouts Houston had left.

(Just kidding, Del.)

Before that, he won 176 games at some school called Earlham College, allegedly in Indiana. He won 176 more in Puerto Rico with some team. (Caribbean action, it’s fantastic.)

Then the NBA Rockets were bought by the Maloof Companies, out of Albuquerque.

The new boss, George Maloof, bought the team in June 1979 and gave it to a new coach, Del Harris.

“My second game, I believe, was at Philadelphia against Julius Erving and the 76ers. The Doc did his thing. We lost again.”

(Yes, you did, 113-105.)

Mr. Maloof then came to see Mr. Harris.

And the coach recalls his exact words.

“He said, ‘WHEN YOU GONNA WIN?!’ ”

Del’s voices rises, mimicking Maloof.

“I DON’T LIKE TO LOSE!”

So far in Inglewood, at no time has Jerry Buss said any such thing. Buss doesn’t like losing, either, but it has been a while since the Lakers have lost.

To be exact, since May 12.

A little more than one-eighth of the 1997-98 season already is gone, believe it or not. A long way to go? Sure. A lingering worry over Shaquille O’Neal’s nagging stomachache? Sure.

Otherwise, happy days are here again. The Lakers are 6-0 at home and 5-0 on the road. This is the first L.A. team to take 11 in a row since a Pat Riley team did, 10 years ago.

The slicked-back one is in Miami today (where the Lakers play next). Riley owns 867 wins as an NBA coach.

A golden era could be returning to the Forum, under a silvery coach.

In 1979--Magic Johnson’s rookie year, also--the Lakers were lookin’ to cook. They were on their way to a 60-22 record and an NBA crown under Jack McKinney and his emergency stand-in, Paul Westhead.

Harris and the Rockets would go 41-41 that season . . . after he finally got that first W.

“I think I won my third game. I’m pretty sure it was against Elvin Hayes and the Washington Bullets--but you better check that.”

(Uh, nope. Sorry, Del. You lost that third one, to the Knicks, 126-121, at the Garden.)

It wasn’t until the home opener of 1979--Houston’s fourth game--that Del broke the maiden. He sent out his usual lineup, Calvin Murphy and Tom Henderson at the guards, Mo in the middle, Robert Reid and a certain Rudy Tomjanovich at forward. They beat Indiana, 116-112.

By season’s end, Murphy’s place in the starting lineup would go to a Mike Dunleavy, who also has done a little coaching.

Del’s first NBA team began that season 2-7. A couple of weeks later, it was 9-7.

His current team is starting out hot. Nobody in the NBA is scoring more points than the Lakers are. They lit up the Clippers for 119, even with no O’Neal.

“Wait’ll they get the big man back,” Fitch said.

Everybody is motivated.

Jones’ motivation is to keep far from Sacramento. Fox’s motivation is Buss’ faith and money, which helped him escape Boston.

O’Neal needs an NBA title to be a true NBA giant. Nick Van Exel needs to prove he’s a new man. Kobe Bryant needs minutes, because the more he gets, the better he gets. Elden Campbell needs to prove he’s no second-stringer. Robert Horry needs to keep his spot in the lineup.

This definitely made it easier for Harris to win his 500th. “I’ve been very blessed,” the coach said. “This is a wonderful way to make a living.”

Especially lately.