This Time It’s Jazz Whom Lakers Beat Like a Drum; Magic Number Is Cut to 3

The Lakers, who have been winning games and making it look easy, followed form Tuesday night when they romped, 123-108, over the Utah Jazz in front of a sellout crowd of 17,505 in the Forum.

With four consecutive victories and 15 wins in their last 17 games, the Lakers reduced to three their magic number for winning the Pacific Division.

During the four-game streak, the Lakers have outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points a game.

Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and Bob McAdoo all scored 18 points as the Lakers, never seriously threatened after the opening minute of the second quarter, defeated the Jazz for the third time in four games this season.

Darrell Griffith led the Jazz with 24 points, but 19 came in the first half.

Utah was within 66-56 just after the half when the Lakers shot way ahead. Johnson began an 18-5 steak with a pair of free throws, then Scott sank his second three-pointer of the game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blocked a shot and James Worthy got loose for a breakaway layup, 73-56.

Four minutes later, after an inside jumper by Scott, the Lakers had an 84-61 lead. McAdoo scored twice more when he replaced Kurt Rambis, who had just been called for his fourth foul, and the Lakers went into the fourth quarter with a 91-75 advantage.

THe Lakers weren’t great in the first half, but they were good enough to lead at the end of it, 60-49.

Utah made only 7 of 25 shots in the first quarter, scored just 18 points and fell behind by nine, despite seven turnovers by the Lakers.

Scott had nine points and Abdul-Jabbar had eight in the opening quarter. Then when Coach Pat Riley went to his non-starters, McAdoo provided the offense in the second quarter.

McAdoo and Mitch Kupchak began the quarter with baskets to give the Lakers a 31-20 lead, but the Jazz quickly came back with eight straight points off the fast break.

The Jazz’s shooting improved a little, thanks to Griffith, but the Lakers still kept themselves in pretty good shape.

When Johnson assisted Larry Spriggs on the layup, the Lakers led by 13. Johnson then scored the next nine Laker points to keep the Jazz from getting any closer than 50-45 in the last two minutes of the half.

McAdoo closed out the half with eight points, five rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in only 11 minutes of playing time.

Laker Notes

The last time the Lakers did not make the playoffs was in 1975-76 when they finished 40-42 in Bill Sharman’s last year as head coach...Utah’s Adrian Dantley missed his 14th consecutive game because of a pulled left hamstring and isn’t expected to play in tonight’s Laker rematch with the Jazz at Salt Lake City.