NBA PLAYOFFS : Magic Goes to the Whip in Time

Earvin Johnson’s horse, Honor Grades, ran dead last in Saturday’s Preakness. Ow. Whip city. Doesn’t this animal realize that you never quit, that you never stop sprinting down the stretch? Boy, you would think any thoroughbred affiliated with Magic Johnson would know better.

“Yes,” Mr. Johnson said. “I will definitely have to have a word with Mr. Honor Grades.”

Good thing the longshot Lakers hadn’t given up the chase when their cause against the pacesetting Portland Trail Blazers looked so hopeless, when they were 65 points into Saturday’s play before Johnson got a basket, when their rears were 14 points in arrears before they finally got them into gear, when Vlade Divac was getting “wham-bammed” by Portland’s portly Kevin Duckworth and Magic had to beg him to wham-bam back.

“Vlade, forget that floppin’ backwards stuff!” Johnson said, taking Divac aside. “Stop talkin’ to the ref about a call! When Duckworth starts wham-bammin’ you, wham-bam him back!”

This was how Earvin Johnson sunk the spurs of his Converses into the Lakers, besides feeding James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Byron Scott with 21 assists and leading Los Angeles to the winner’s circle in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, 111-106. He persuaded the Lakers to stand their ground. He drew a line in the dust of the Memorial Coliseum’s floor with his toe.

Jerome Kersey elbowed Johnson, so Earvin elbowed Jerome. “Ordinarily, I’d let it go,” Johnson said. “But it’s the playoffs. It’s a man’s game down there. I let Jerome get away with it once, he’ll think he’s got something over on me.

“Same with Vlade. Duckworth puts his shoulder into him, sends him flyin’. I’m sayin’: ‘Vlade! This is the playoffs! You got to get him back! Come on!’ See, with Vlade, sometimes he gets an elbow, he kind of gets shook up. He goes: ‘Aw, man! I got hit!’ Then you know he’s done for the night.

“So I say: ‘Vlade, you see what’s happenin’ here, don’t you?’ Duckworth’s comes down on fast breaks, posts him down low with those 280-or-whatever pounds, pushes Vlade around. I say: ‘Vlade, you gotta meet him up high! Don’t let him get down there! Come on!’

“So he did.”

Here was Kevin Duckworth’s fourth quarter: Three-second violation, traveling violation, replaced by Mark Bryant for 5 1/2 minutes, one rebound, offensive foul, missed 10-foot jumper from lane, steal, got seven-foot jumper blocked, got own rebound but had ball poked away, made 13-foot jumper from side, replaced by Danny Ainge for final eight seconds.

Now, here’s Vlade Divac’s fourth quarter: Made eight-foot jumper from lane, made layup off fast break, made running hook, made hook from lane, blocked shot by Duckworth, poked ball from Duckworth after rebound, ran to locker room after game with big smile through beard.

Magic mission accomplished.

See, among other things, Johnson vividly remembered a game March 29 in the Forum, when the Lakers led the Trail Blazers by 21 points in the second half, then got smoked. That game told him two things. One, that Portland is business. And two: “If they can do it, yo, baby, so can we.”

Winning this war between Tinsel Town and Rip City will not be easy. The Trail Blazers and their fans want it bad. They bring duck calls and quack for Duckworth. They bring banners that read: “Drain the Lakers.” They pay $7 a pop for seats at the Fox theater on the opposite side of the Willamette River to watch Trail Blazer home games on a big screen, and sell out all 1,500 seats. One of their politicians promised Sen. John Seymour of the thirsty state of California thousands of gallons of badly needed Oregon water should the Trail Blazers fail in their crusade to beat L.A., beat L.A., beat L.A.

And until the fourth period, the Lakers were anything but sparkling. Johnson, double-teamed, was unable to score. Worthy, who at times scored almost at will, opened the final quarter on the bench. Magic looked inside for mismatches. Scott was sinking jump shots, but Divac was failing to get free inside, falling for every fake, flopping back with every Duckworth quack, dishing off instead of shooting whenever the Trail Blazers pretended they were about to double-team him.

“I talked to him loud,” Johnson said. “I’m sayin’: ‘Vlade! They’re just fakin’ like they’re going to double-team you! They’re not going to double-team you! The only ones they’re going to double-team are me and Sam (Perkins)! Take the ball to the hole, Vlade!’ ”

Vlade did. Assist to Magic.

Everything turned out just the way Mr. Johnson hoped, except for that horse he owns with Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall failing to come to the wire charging the way the Lakers did. Magic was neither too disappointed with Honor Grades’ finish nor too pleased with the Lakers’. Both must run again.