Lakers Believe in Campbell

The Elden Campbell comeback is no rumor. He has shown up for real, albeit probably temporarily considering his history, while the buzz of another noted return appears to move toward reality, taking the Lakers along for the ride. The magical ride.

They finished a 3-0 trip Saturday night with a 100-98 victory over New Jersey before 20,049 at Continental Airlines Arena, and it was Campbell who finished the Nets: 20 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high eight blocks and the game-winning basket when he followed in Vlade Divac’s miss with 0.1 seconds left.

“He took the weekend off last week,” Laker Coach Del Harris, knowing all too well that it only seemed as if Campbell was AWOL against the Clippers and Cleveland. “But he’s back in business now. That’s a terrific three-game run. He carried us inside.”

A season-high 26 points Wednesday at Boston, a career regular-season best 18 rebounds Friday at Philadelphia, and now this. All together, it’s a trip in which he averaged 20 points, 13.7 rebounds and four blocks and made 22 of 31 shots (71%).

Now to see if he’ll have a new teammate this week. The most significant news on the Magic Johnson front Saturday, with the Lakers having plans in the works for every scenario, was agent Lon Rosen saying, “I think he’ll have a decision in the next few days. . . . He’s going to make a decision very quickly. But it’s not a done deal.”

Every indication points to Johnson coming back, though that still leaves room for him to go the other way. It could happen Tuesday against Golden State, Friday against Chicago, or not at all.

In the meantime, there have been these developments:

--Johnson will not be driven away by comments or perceived feelings of uneasiness from players who will face someone who is HIV-positive or any other NBA personnel. This is important because it was negative or questioning statements by Utah star Karl Malone and Phoenix owner Jerry Colangelo, among others, that played a role in his decision to abort a comeback in the fall of 1992.

“I’ve talked to him about it and other people have talked to him about it,” Rosen said. “He knows it could happen. But, no, it won’t run him out. He’s better prepared and better educated this time.

“If he hears those comments, he’ll hope those guys study up and learn more.”

“Those comments” have already started. Word of an imminent comeback had barely surfaced before Philadelphia’s Vernon Maxwell spoke out Friday night after the 76ers lost to the Lakers at the Spectrum:

“It would kind of bother me. You get scratched on your hand and then he might get an open wound. I don’t want to be in there with that. I have a wife and kids.”

And if the coach tells him to guard Johnson?

“I don’t know about that,” Maxwell said.

That same night in Seattle, Malone did his best to sidestep the issue, telling the Salt Lake Tribune: “It’s great for him if he wants to do it, and it’s great for basketball. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

--If Johnson comes back, he will play the full schedule and not avoid back-to-backs or the one long trip that remains.

--While a verbal agreement has been reached with Jerry Buss for Johnson to sell his 5% ownership in the Lakers, as required by league rules, there is nothing in place for Johnson to automatically buy it back upon the next retirement.

“There’s not an understanding,” Rosen said.

Then call it an assumption. The way their relationship has evolved far beyond the typical owner-player set up, Buss is probably disappointed he’s only able to pay Johnson $2.5 million for a half-season because of the salary cap, so it’s impossible to imagine Magic not getting back in if he wants back in.

--Trips by his barnstorming team to Australia in March and Japan in May have not yet been postponed or canceled. Another possibility is to have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar go instead.

--Contrary to broadcast reports from one national network, Johnson has not bought a block of tickets for Tuesday’s game against Golden State at the Forum, so that can’t be used as an indication he plans to return that night. He had previously purchased about 60 tickets for when Utah comes to town a week from tonight, but that was for his charity group, the Magic Johnson Foundation.

Amid this frenzied backdrop, a game was played.

The Lakers had a 13-point lead with 7:57 left, then went into one of their signature swoons. It was 98-96 after Nick Van Exel made the first free throw and missed the second with 10.9 showing, allowing the Nets a defensive rebound and, without a timeout at their disposal, Greg Graham to drive down the lane and get fouled by George Lynch.

With 4.4 seconds remaining, Graham converted both attempts for a tie at 98-all. The Lakers called timeout.

Eddie Jones’ inbounds pass from midcourt went to Divac on the right wing. Divac put his shoulder down and drove into Net center Shawn Bradley, looking for a basket or a foul, but got neither. Instead, Divac got into the lane, but his shot rolled off the hoop.

Campbell went up, gained control with both hands, and threw the ball down. The Lakers celebrated their first sweep of a trip at least three games long since November 1986, and the Nets fumed.

“This is going to cost me money,” said New Jersey Coach Butch Beard, upset that Divac did not get a charging foul on the final play and at a non-call with about two minutes left that also went in the Lakers’ favor. “We got screwed tonight by the officials.”