Lakers Allow Nuggets to Tie, Then Lose in Overtime, 114-108

Officially, this was an overtime loss for the Lakers. They played the five-minute extra period with every intent to beat the Denver Nuggets. But, as confirmed afterward, the Lakers really lost it in the final seconds of regulation.

Holding a three-point lead with nine seconds to play, seemingly all the Lakers had to do to win was not allow a three-point basket. But the worst-case scenario unfolded, as Walter Davis sank a three-point shot, sending the teams into overtime.

From that point, the Lakers pretty much expired. The Nuggets took control and posted a 114-108 victory, one in which the Lakers felt they simply gave away.

“I think we gave them a gift,” Laker Coach Pat Riley said. “It’s happened to us a lot of times. The three-pointer was inexcusable. You don’t leave a guy open on the perimeter.”

This was a game that meant more for the Nuggets to win than the Lakers. Denver is jockeying for playoff position, while Riley pretty much conceded that the Lakers will not catch the Detroit Pistons for the league’s best record. The loss left the Lakers (48-22) three games ahead of the second-place Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.

So, if the motivation was with the Nuggets, so, too, was the proper execution of big plays at the end.

The Lakers, seemingly more susceptible than usual to the fatigue that hits visiting teams in the mile-high city, were playing without backup Mychal Thompson and, in the final minutes, without guard Michael Cooper, who suffered a bruised thigh.

After Magic Johnson made a layup--but missed an accompanying free throw after being fouled--to give the Lakers a 97-94 lead with 37 seconds to play, the Nuggets scored quickly on a layup by Danny Schayes. But the Lakers got that back on Byron Scott’s jump shot with 13 seconds to play.

That was when the Lakers broke down. Lafayette Lever inbounded the ball to Schayes at the high post. Two Lakers converged on Schayes, who passed to Davis open on the perimeter. Davis swished a three-point shot to tie it, 99-99.

The Lakers, however, still had a chance to pull it out in regulation.

A.C. Green inbounded the ball to Johnson, the Lakers’ designated last-second specialist. With Lever guarding him closely, Johnson could not shake free. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar approached to set a screen, but that didn’t free Johnson, either. With time running out, Johnson flipped a pass to Abdul-Jabbar, who missed a 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer.

Overtime was all Denver, as Alex English scored six of the Nuggets’ first seven points for a 106-101 lead. The closest the Lakers would pull in overtime would be 106-104 after Abdul-Jabbar’s three-point play.

The Lakers made just three of seven free-throw attempts in overtime, perhaps an indication of their fatigue.

Even Riley, when he emerged from the locker to meet the media afterward, gave a weary sigh. But his may have been more from frustration than fatigue.

Even though the Lakers were outscored, 15-9, in overtime, Riley still pointed to Davis’ three-point basket as the Lakers’ biggest transgression.

“Schayes was inside the three-point line, so you let him drive to the basket and score,” Riley said. “We had a three-point lead. For some reason, our defense tried to help on Schayes and left their guys open.

“This is the third time this has happened to us. We left guys open against New Jersey (in December, when Chris Morris’ three-point basket sent the game to overtime) and against Milwaukee (also in December, when Craig Hodges’ field goal won it). We can’t let that happen. It’s a gift.”

Johnson, who had 20 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists, agreed.

“We had the game,” Johnson said. “But we just lost it ourselves. Any time you are up three points with, what, nine seconds left, you’re supposed to have it.

“We should have guarded all the perimeter guys. A basket like that cost us the game.”

Scott, who had 17 points, was guarding Davis on the play. He sagged inside and recovered too late to put a hand in Davis’ face.

Had Cooper not suffered a bruised thigh with 1:26 to play in regulation, Riley said he probably would have had him in for defensive purposes.

“Coop, in that situation, would have really helped,” Johnson said. “He’s good at denying the shot.”

But the Nuggets have a multitude of three-point specialists, including Michael Adams, who sank four of eight three-point attempts.

“I’m sure they wanted to go to anyone on the perimeter,” Riley said. “It was just a defensive breakdown. It’s always fatiguing coming up here. But we’ve got to forget about this and go home and play Milwaukee (tonight).”

Laker Notes

In addition to Magic Johnson’s 16th triple-double of the season, the Lakers received 22 points and 13 rebounds from A.C. Green and 25 points from James Worthy. . . . With a basket on short jump shot with 5:46 to play in the second quarter, the Nuggets’ Alex English passed Elgin Baylor to move into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. English led the Nuggets with 31 points.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was presented with a golden nugget chain and a vacation package to Vail as part of a halftime ceremony on the 20th stop on his farewell tour. Dan Issel, the former Nugget center, was the master of ceremonies. Abdul-Jabbar on his sky trip: “If you don’t see me again during the playoffs, you’ll see me up in the mountains trying to learn how to ski.” . . . Lafayette Lever aggravated a pulled hamstring in Thursday night’s game against Seattle, but played 41 minutes Saturday night and had 22 points and 12 rebounds.