Lakers Get Sinking Feeling Again With Magic Out, 110-101

There were more goggles on the Lakers than on the Mission Viejo swim team Saturday night. But there was no Magic Johnson--and there won’t be for at least the next two games, which leaves the Lakers struggling to stay afloat.

With Johnson joining Michael Cooper on the bench with a groin pull, the Lakers went under early to the Dallas Mavericks, who recovered from the dousing they took from the Lakers in Dallas last Sunday to beat the home team, 110-101, before a sellout crowd of 17,505 at the Forum.

Wes Matthews, who had his right eye scratched in New York Wednesday and missed Thursday’s loss in Chicago, joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy on the Lakers’ begoggled set and started in Johnson’s place.

Matthews shed the goggles early, but by that time the Mavericks had begun to unmask the Lakers for what they are when they’re playing for the sixth time in the last nine nights and without their MVP: an even bet against the Clippers.

Matthews scored just four points and made two consecutive turnovers at the end of the first half, which relegated him to a cameo appearance in the second half.

“He’s got to step forward and play a solid floor game,” said Laker Coach Pat Riley, who was less than enchanted by Matthews’ performance. “He can’t get the ball stripped from him twice in a row. That’s debilitating to a team.

“I put the heat on Wes because he’s a veteran and we need him to step forward.”

The Mavericks like to believe they’ll have their chance to step up in the playoffs against the Lakers, the only team in the Western Conference that has a better record (49-12) than Dallas (41-19). They’d lost three straight to the Lakers this season, but for three quarters made it look easy.

It was, until a four-minute span of the fourth quarter, when the Lakers ran off a 16-0 spurt to cut Dallas’ lead from 21 points to 96-91 with six minutes left. Rookie Milt Wagner had six points in the run, while Byron Scott was tying his career high in assists (10) to go along with 35 points and 8 rebounds.

Roy Tarpley finally broke the Maverick scoreless drought when he tipped in a missed shot for two of his 18 points and one of his 21 rebounds. But Scott--who tried single-handedly to compensate for the absence of Johnson and Michael Cooper, who missed his 12th game with a sprained left ankle--drew the Lakers within two, 102-100, by canning two free throws and a jumper from the top of the key with three minutes left.

Then Tarpley took over the game. The 7-footer, who grabbed eight rebounds on the offensive glass, tipped in a missed shot by Derek Harper to make it 104-100. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar missed at the other end, Tarpley grabbed the rebound, then easily maneuvered around Abdul-Jabbar for a layup that made it 106-100.

After another miss, Tarpley was there for another tip-in, and the Mavericks were out of danger.

“I was unhappy that we couldn’t shut them down,” Dallas Coach John MacLeod said. “We just couldn’t stop them--they created a lot of problems for us.

“The Lakers are simply a superior team, the best in the league by far. . . . Are there any more adjectives I can say?”

MacLeod would have been well advised to save a few for Tarpley, who returned from a stint in a drug rehabilitation clinic last summer to emerge as perhaps the premier sixth man in the league this season.

With the kind of numbers he posted Saturday night, how long will it be before Tarpley starts?

“I think they’re probably better with Roy rebounding, coming off the bench,” Riley said. “He’s still playing 30 minutes a game. He came off two subpar games in a row tonight. His effort on the boards and in getting second shots pulled them through.”

The next week undoubtedly will be treacherous for the Lakers without Johnson, whom Dr. Robert Kerlan ruled out of games against New Jersey Monday night and in Portland Tuesday night.

Johnson, who was injured two weeks ago against Utah and aggravated the injury Thursday night in Chicago, started the Lakers’ first 60 games after missing six exhibition games. He said he hopes to return to action at Phoenix next Saturday night.

“I think it’s for the best,” Riley said. “This will give him 10 days to rest.”

Cooper, meanwhile, remained on the injured list and will be looked at again today. He hasn’t played since being hurt Feb. 18 in Houston.

Mark Aguirre scored 21 points for the Mavericks, while Rolando Blackman threw in 20. James Worthy had 17 for the Lakers, but only three in the second half. Abdul-Jabbar made just 4 of 15 shots for 11 points. Mychal Thompson, had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The loss was the Lakers’ first against another division leader this season. The Mavericks are first in the Midwest Division. Before Saturday, the Lakers were 7-0 against division leaders.