Long Trip Ends With Long Game : Lakers: Johnson, Worthy help tired Los Angeles overcome hot-shooting Timberwolves in overtime, 106-97.

MINNEAPOLIS —  His cheeks puffed out like Dizzy Gillespie’s and his chest heaving, James Worthy slouched near midcourt after the Lakers had tamed the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime Wednesday night, 106-97.

Along came Magic Johnson, who stood next to his Laker teammate and gave him a brief smile and an even briefer hug. They were too tuckered out to exchange high-fives, back slaps or any other more taxing celebration.

So ended an eight-game, 12-day trip, one that tested the Lakers’ cardiovascular endurance and mental alertness everywhere from the snowbound East to balmy Florida to the frigid Midwest. The Lakers won five of eight games and headed back to Los Angeles on a late-night charter still leading the Pacific Division with a 19-6 record.

Maybe it was fitting that it ended with an exhalation of relief, rather than exaltation, because this was anything but a pleasure trip for the Lakers. About the best you can say is that they absorbed their opponents’ best shots and, for the most part, endured.

The Lakers, somewhat ambitiously, had set a goal of 6-2 on the trip. They fell a victory short by blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead at Orlando, but they seemed satisfied overall.

“A 5-3 trip is successful, as far as I’m concerned,” Coach Pat Riley said.

“This makes my whole Christmas,” Johnson said. “It was the best way to end the trip. We never quit; that’s the whole thing.”

Enduring was the central theme again Wednesday night against the expansion Timberwolves. The Lakers, clearly dragging and flu-ridden, suffered through a first half in which the expansion Timberwolves shot 74.3% from the field and took a 12-point lead behind former Laker Tony Campbell, who had 18 of his 26 points by halftime. The Lakers faced a 15-point third-quarter deficit.

But, they mustered the resolve to finish off the Timberwolves and finish the trip with a winning record.

“The way I saw it,” Worthy said, “we had taken their best shot. We just felt if we kept plugging we’d be in there.”

Overtime could not have been what the Lakers had in mind, but it took a monumental second-half comeback even to get to that position.

After spending the fourth quarter whittling away at Minnesota’s lead, the Lakers caught the Timberwolves (5-19) with 7.2 seconds to play when, after Sam Mitchell missed a free throw, Johnson went the length of the court for a score-tying layup.

In overtime the Lakers summoned enough effort to outscore Minnesota by nine points.

“It was a good way to end a long, long trip,” Riley said. “I think our guys showed the effects of the trip, but you have to give them credit. The way they came back was indicative of their character and resolve. And, you want to thank Earvin Johnson (for making) the shot he had to with no timeouts left.”

Johnson, who had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists; and Worthy, who had 24 points, were the steadying influences during a mostly lethargic effort. So, it was not surprising that Johnson took control when the Lakers needed it most.

The Lakers had a chance to tie it nine seconds before Johnson’s layup. A.C. Green, who had 16 points and 15 rebounds while once again starting at center in place of injured Mychal Thompson, missed one of two free throws that would have tied it, 90-90.

Instead, the Lakers fouled Mitchell one second after Green’s second free throw. But Mitchell, a rookie forward who had 24 points, missed the second of two free throws for a 91-89 lead.

Orlando Woolridge grabbed the rebound, and Johnson immediately moved toward the ball. Near midcourt, Johnson paused to check the clock and avoid Campbell.

Johnson twisted between Mitchell and Campbell and banked in the layup to tie it. Minnesota then tried to score quickly, but Green knocked away Sidney Lowe’s pass. With 3.7 seconds left, three Lakers converged on Campbell, who bobbled the inbounds pass and dropped it out of bounds.

A full-length Laker inbounds pass with 1.4 seconds intended for Woolridge went astray, but Johnson ran it down and flung it over his left shoulder toward the basket. It hit the rim and fell out.

Such a miraculous finish somehow would not have been appropriate for the Lakers on this trip. They had to work overtime to earn the victory.

The Lakers were in control the entire five minutes, a departure from their only previous overtime experience, when they went scoreless against the Detroit Pistons.

When it was finally over, the Lakers were happy but a little tired.

“No, a lot tired,” Johnson said.

That could only partially account for the continuation of their outside shooting problems. The Lakers made only 39.8% of their shots, but found success in the second half using a bigger lineup featuring Woolridge and Vlade Divac against the smaller Timberwolves.

Woolridge, in his best game since coming off the injured list last week, scored 20 points and had six rebounds. Divac added 16 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes.

“I feel a lot more comfortable out there,” Woolridge said. “There are still times when I feel tentative. But I’m glad Pat had the confidence in me to leave me in there.”

Riley said he had no choice but to go with a big lineup, since Laker guards were not hitting. Byron Scott made only two of 10 shots and failed to reach double figures for the third consecutive game. Michael Cooper missed all five shots he attempted.

“We just got to get in the habit of moving the ball again,” Riley said. “We’ve only had one or two practices in the last two weeks. So, right now, our offense is sluggish, lethargic and boring.”

Laker Notes

Byron Scott has made only two of his last 17 shots. Coach Pat Riley said the Lakers need to improve the ball movement in the half-court offense to enable Scott to take open jump shots. Said Scott: “I’m kind of hesitating too much. I’ll just call it a little slump. You got to keep going and play both ends of the court (offense and defense).” Scott’s defense limited former Laker Tony Campbell to six points in the second half. . . . Campbell on the Lakers: “I knew Magic wouldn’t let them lose to an expansion team. I think the Lakers are still the Lakers. They may not be as glamorous without Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), but they are still a great team.”