Utah Seems to Bring Out Worst in Lakers and Anger in Riley

SALT LAKE CITY —  This can’t be the only place on the National Basketball Assn. circuit that Pat Riley ever loses his temper. It is, however, about the only place where Riley’s postgame blistering can be heard as clearly by those outside the locker room as by the players for whom his words are intended.

“I open up the door, one of you guys are going to fall in,” Riley complained mildly to the reporters, who couldn’t help but eavesdrop on his choice commentary following the Lakers’ 106-92 loss to the Utah Jazz Saturday night.

It was here, you may recall, that Riley delivered another paint-peeling speech to the Lakers a year ago last February. If it was intended to be inspirational, it worked: The Lakers went on to win 21 of their last 24 regular-season games, then went 15-3 in the playoffs en route to the title.

The backdrop for this little group encounter was quite a bit different: There are only a dozen games left till the end of the season, and instead of Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper in the audience, there was Tony Campbell, newly arrived from the Continental Basketball Assn.

Still, Riley thought he needed to get the Lakers’ attention.

“We can’t just come into the locker room and accept a defeat,” he said. “We can’t tolerate mediocrity now.

“We can’t just say, ‘We’re going to be OK.’ We’ve got Sacramento, Seattle and the Clippers this week at home, a big home stand for us. If we stumble at home, then we could be feeling a lot of pressure.

“We can take care of a big chunk of (business) this week.”

Riley noted that the Boston Celtics are only four games behind the Lakers in the loss column for the league’s best overall record. The Lakers are 53-17, the Celtics 51-21. When someone suggested not to worry, that if the Lakers were to go .500 the rest of the way, Boston would have to win 9 of its last 10, Riley shook his head.

“We’re not playing .500 right now,” he said.

True enough. The loss was the Lakers’ seventh in 11 games without Magic Johnson, who most likely won’t play before Friday’s game with the Clippers--if then--according to Riley. Michael Cooper, who has missed 19 of the last 21 games with a sprained left ankle, had a “great” practice Friday and may be back for Tuesday night’s game against the SuperSonics, Riley said.

In the interim, there will be more nights like this, especially when Byron Scott draws three fouls in the first 6:40 and has to sit out the rest of the first half, as he did Saturday night. The Jazz took advantage of his absence to roll up a 10-point lead, 58-48, and Utah forward Thurl Bailey scored 20 of his 33 points in the second half to repulse a Laker comeback that died at 84-81.

At that point, the Lakers’ next three possessions went this way: Karl Malone stole the ball from Mychal Thompson; John Stockton stole a pass by Scott, and Wes Matthews had a driving shot rejected by Mark Eaton.

In the last 10:31, the Lakers scored just four baskets, two by Scott, who had a team-high 23 points despite playing just 28 minutes.

“When it was 84-81, it was a grind-out game,” Riley said. “The only thing that was disappointing to me was our lack of teamwork then. We were not moving the ball quick enough, and that hurt us. There were a lot of forced shots--another pass and we’d have had better shots.

“Two turnovers and a blocked shot--we had a weak performance at that point. We can’t do that.”

The Lakers shot just 41% for the night, and only 67.6% from the line, missing 11 of 34 chances. It was a bad night for free throws: the Jazz shot 65.4% (17 of 26) and at one point in the second quarter, the teams combined to make just 2 of 10 free throws.

But the Jazz, badly beaten on the boards by the Lakers in a 122-111 loss at the Forum four nights earlier, put up greater resistance Saturday night. Karl Malone had 22 points and 15 rebounds, Eaton had 11 rebounds and Stockton had 20 points and 16 assists (giving him 34 assists in the last two meeting against the Lakers).

“We wanted to show the Lakers we aren’t a weak team,” Bobby Hansen of the Jazz said. “We don’t want to be pushed around.”

It was almost enough to make a guy like Campbell wonder why he ever left a winner like the Albany Patroons, who went 48-6 in the CBA. Campbell, who signed with the Lakers Wednesday, played 13 minutes Saturday and scored 5 points--including one thunderous dunk--with 3 rebounds. He also made just one of four free throws and turned the ball over three times.

“I think he’s going to be OK,” Riley said of the 6-foot 8-inch swingman, a former No. 1 draft choice of the Detroit Pistons.

“He’s got quickness, he’s a great driver and once he’s really comfortable with what we’re doing, I think he’ll help us.”

That comfort zone, of course, takes more than just two practices, which is what Campbell has had since arriving here.

“I know a few plays,” Campbell said, “but I’m also learning two positions.

“Off the court, I remember the plays well, but on the court, it’s like I can see all the plays flash through my mind. It’s hard to remember what’s going on.”

After Saturday night, though, Campbell knows Riley is always there to remind him.