So Far, This Is a Pleasure Trip for the Lakers : Pro basketball: Scott and Threatt combine for 50 points in victory over Hawks.
ATLANTA — Finally, someone their own size.
The post-Magic Lakers met the post-Dominique Hawks Wednesday night in an ill-attended affair (15,539 announced, perhaps 12,000 of whom were there) matching two tired teams coming off games the night before in other cities.
Happily for the Lakers, they won it, 109-98, as their starting guards scored 50 points, 29 by Byron Scott, 21 by Sedale Threatt.
Surprisingly, they are 2-0 on the trip after going 3-11 since the All-Star break.
Sadly for the Hawks, they are 7-13 since losing Dominique Wilkins, with six defeats in a row.
Said Coach Mike Dunleavy: “I basically just told the guys, ‘Nobody’s giving us a chance; everybody’s jumping off the ship. Here we are, going on a five-game trip that everybody thinks will be our death.’ â€
So far, so good.
The Lakers played in New York Tuesday but were able to fly here after the game and sleep in.
The Hawks lost at San Antonio Tuesday and elected to return Wednesday morning.
Neither was in vintage shape. The first quarter looked like a dance of the dead.
Threatt, who scored 42 points Tuesday, didn’t make his first basket until 3:20 remained inthe first half.
Sam Perkins, plainly whipped, missed 10 of his first 14 shots.
The Lakers missed 12 of their first 22 free throws.
“I’m not going to lie to you,†Perkins said. “Back-to-backs, that’s what it’s all about, a test of your endurance.
“They were a little tired, too. There were a lot of mental breakdowns. We were letting each other score. Missed timing, missed rebounds. It was both teams.â€
Fortunately for the Lakers, Scott was on target.
He had scored four field goals in his last two games, but Wednesday he had that many in the first quarter.
“Sometimes when I’m not involved in the offense, I tend to lose concentration,†Scott said. “I know I’ve got to work on that. It’s hard when you’d had somebody for eight years who was getting you involved--Earvin (Johnson)--and all of a sudden he’s gone.â€
Late in the first half, Threatt got going, too, scoring nine points in the last 3:20.
The Lakers trailed, 53-52, at the half. The teams exchanged leads in the third quarter, but the Lakers went ahead to stay when Scott knocked the ball loose, dived after it, ripped it away from Duane Ferrell and threw it ahead to Threatt for a fast-break layup.
The Lakers then started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run to go up, 83-76. They held the Hawks off for the rest of the way and put them away at the end.
“We’re just at a low point right now mentally,†Hawk Coach Bob Weiss said.
“There is that thing, the euphoria (the Hawks went 7-7 immediately after losing Wilkins, a pace that probably would have gotten them into the playoffs) where everybody is excited at getting a chance to play. But then the NBA wears on, and you’ve got to do it night after night.â€
Ask the Lakers. They know all about it.
Laker Notes
Mike Dunleavy said Sunday the Lakers could make the playoffs if they could find one man to play consistently off the bench. Chucky Brown, a disappointment until then, posted back-to-back season highs. He scored 10 points Tuesday at New York, 15 with six rebounds Wednesday, making seven of 10 shots. “I’ve just been trying to get comfortable and get some confidence,†Brown said. “I needed to be more aggressive than what I was. I’d been sort of timid.†. . . Jerry West and Dunleavy were still trying to decide whether to bring in another player to replace James Worthy, who must stay on the injured list for another three games. If they think Worthy will be back after that, they might not bring anyone in. . . . Vlade Divac, who averaged 19 minutes in his first five outings, is struggling. Wednesday he had no points or rebounds in the first half, two points and three rebounds in the second half. “I know what he’s going through from when I used to get activated as an assistant coach (at Milwaukee),†Dunleavy said. “The first few games, I felt great. All of a sudden your body starts telling you, ‘What the hell are you doing to me? That’s not part of the deal.’ That’s what training camp gets you ready for.â€
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