Lakers Fall on Memory Lane

The Laker class of 1984-85 gathered Monday at Staples Center, as coaches and players and others responsible for Laker championship No. 2 that decade provided momentary respite from a season that has been mostly forgettable.

Then the present-tense Lakers played like their predecessors most of the night before falling to one of the league’s top teams, the Phoenix Suns, 108-97, in front of 18,997.

The Suns, who have the NBA’s best record and are averaging more than 110 points, set a Laker opponent record by making 19 three-pointers, topping the 17 they made last Tuesday in a 26-point win over the Lakers.

“They just three-point us to death, it seems like, when we play this team,” Coach Frank Hamblen said. “Nineteen for 37 from the three-point line. It’s a weapon, no question about it.”

Enough ammunition to finish the Lakers, who lost for the 15th time in 17 games and fell 24 1/2 games behind the Suns in the Pacific Division. There are four games left in the Laker season.

Throughout the day, there was anticipation of what was to come when the former Lakers reassembled for a halftime ceremony.

“They’re going to be watching us play,” Hamblen said at Monday morning’s shoot-around, giving ample notice to the current roster. “Let’s put on a good performance for them.”

They did in the first half, taking a 54-52 lead, and Kobe Bryant and Caron Butler combined for 24 points and six assists as former executive vice president Jerry West looked on from a front-row seat at midcourt.

Then came the 20-minute tribute to the 1985 team.

Pat Riley, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson spoke about the way things were. Few fans were sitting as the players were introduced one at a time by public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter.

But Laker followers were later reminded of the way things are.

The Lakers, who gave up 43 points to the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter of a lopsided loss Sunday, were better defensively against the Suns in what became more of a slow burn.

The Suns scored 11 points in the first 2:49 of the third quarter, but the Lakers hung around until the game’s final two minutes.

Butler’s dunk brought the Lakers within 99-97 with 2:12 left to play, but Jim Jackson made a three-pointer with 1:57 left and Amare Stoudemire added a dunk on the Suns’ next possession to provide a 104-97 cushion.

“I thought our effort was real good,” Hamblen said. “It’s about finishing a team off. We need to grow to win the last five minutes of games, the last three minutes of games, the last two minutes. That’s what the good teams, the playoff teams, do.”