Magic Scores 30 in Swedish Exhibition

Magic Johnson scored 30 points Tuesday and his Swedish team, Magic M7, defeated the Sundsvall Dragons, 108-93, in a Swedish Basketball League exhibition.

Johnson, 40, had 11 assists and scored seven points in the first 2 1/2 minutes.

Spectators gasped when Johnson was cut near the eyebrow 10 minutes into the first half and was led into the locker room, but he came back out shortly with a bandage and resumed playing.

In 1991, just before the start of his 13th NBA season with the Lakers--Johnson tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS and retired. He made a brief comeback with Lakers in 1995-96.

He said the exhibition game was a great challenge, but he enjoyed it.

“It was wonderful to play today and the public was fantastic,” Johnson was quoted as saying by the Swedish news agency TT. “I will gladly come here to play again.”

It was Johnson’s third game for the team in the Swedish Basketball League. He scored 17 points in a victory over the Dragons on Friday and 14 on Oct. 26 in his first competitive game since he retired from the NBA in 1996.

He is scheduled to play three more games during this 11-day Swedish stay.