Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 22, 1990

First, Detroit. Next, the world. Now that they’ve finally solved the riddle of the Pistons, there is no reason to believe the Lakers can’t become NBA champions again. . . .

Before their Palace revolt, you had to doubt the Lakers’ chances even though they boasted the best record in the league. . . .

It wasn’t so much that they got swept in the NBA Finals--little Magic Johnson, no Byron Scott--but that they got shut out and overpowered by the Pistons in overtime in December at the Forum. . . .

It helped to have Orlando Woolridge come off the bench Sunday. And so did it to have Magic sink the key basket--a flat-footed set shot that made it 100-93 with two minutes left after Detroit made a move--James Worthy perform at peak efficiency, and Michael Cooper look like a young pup again. . . .

How meaningful is one regular-season game? Quite, when you consider that the defending NBA champion and runner-up were matched only twice. . . .

Isiah Thomas may be an All-Star, but he’s also All-Baby. . . .

It was absurd that play wasn’t stopped immediately after the violent Mark Aguirre-Worthy collision and that time wasn’t called until about a half-minute and one Laker basket later. . . .

Hubie Brown does wonderful commentary on CBS, but I miss not having Tom Heinsohn to pick on. . . .

The King-Ranger trade was the kind made at mid-season only by teams that are struggling. . . .

Seventy-goal scorers like Bernie Nicholls don’t grow on trees, but he never was much of a team player, and the deal will be good for Los Angeles if Tomas Sandstrom becomes a linemate for Wayne Gretzky in the style of Jari Kurri. . . .

Another thing to be considered is that both Sandstrom and Tony Granato are younger than Nicholls. . . .

The trade may be analyzed as early as Saturday night when the Rangers play the Kings at the Forum. . . .

I watched the entire Laker-Piston game, meaning I missed only the first nine goals of the NHL All-Star game. . . .

The Kings must not be the only team in the Campbell Conference in need of defense. . . .

Mario Lemieux outplayed Gretzky, but it probably would have been the other way around if the game had been played in Inglewood instead of Pittsburgh. . . .

NBC’s coverage was disappointing. Of course, the network only had 15 years to prepare since its last NHL telecast. . . .

If a network is going to show pro hockey again, how about the Stanley Cup instead of a non-contact exhibition?. . . .

By the way, who won the NHL slam-dunk contest Saturday?. . . .

You hated Danny Ainge when he played for the Celtics, but you’ll love him if he’s traded to the Clippers by Sacramento. . . .

Ainge is just what the Clippers need--an outside shooting big guard with tons of playoff experience. And he would be terrific coming off the bench next season when Ron Harper returns. . . .

One reason why the Clippers drafted Danny Ferry instead of Sean Elliott is that, as a youngster, Elliott suffered a knee injury similar to Danny Manning’s. So the Clippers traded the rights to Ferry for Harper--and he suffered the Manning-type injury. . . .

On a Saturday when the nation’s Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 teams lost, only one of them was defeated on its home court. That was No. 5 Syracuse, which fell to Providence. Three of the other games--No. 4 Missouri over No. 1 Kansas, No. 23 Arizona over No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 24 Purdue over No. 7 Illinois--weren’t even upsets. . . .

If Gaby Canizales wins the WBC bantamweight championship from Raul Perez tonight at the Forum, it will mark the first time that brothers have shared a world boxing title. Orlando Canizales is the IBF bantamweight champion. . . .

A brief spat with Don King is the reason Mike Tyson didn’t show up as a presenter at the Ace Awards last week on his way to the Buster Douglas fight in Tokyo. . . .

Michael Nunn should realize that managerial squabbles and inactivity are what ruined Donald Curry’s career. . . .

It’s nice to see Sandy Hawley, who is winning his battle with cancer, back riding at Santa Anita. . . .

Some of the most entertaining races at the Sunkist indoor track meet Friday were run by high school relay teams. And they reminded me of the most exciting event ever contested by L.A. City schools--the old eight-man mile relay. . . .

David Robinson, the San Antonio center who is a cinch NBA rookie of the year, may also get some MVP votes. Only two rookies ever to win the MVP were Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia in 1959-60 and Wes Unseld of Baltimore in 1968-69. . . .

From the Associated Press story on the Australian Open in Saturday’s paper: “A month shy of 31, (John) McEnroe says he’s come to realize at last that the temper tantrums that once fired him up now merely burn him out.”