Warriors Get Some Magic, Too : NBA playoffs: Mullin’s knee responds and so does he, with 41 points on brilliant outside shooting.

Chris Mullin, the Golden State Warriors’ star swingman and the ultimate gym rat, spends so much time at the Oakland Coliseum Arena practicing that the Warriors gave Mullin a key so he could let himself in.

Mullin doesn’t have a key to the Forum, but a guard let him in Tuesday night. Mullin wanted to test his strained right knee, which forced him to sit out the Warriors’ 126-116 loss to the Lakers in the opening game of their NBA Western Conference semifinal series Sunday.

Accompanied by trainer Tom Abdenour, who persuaded a security guard to let them in, Mullin practiced for 30 minutes, shooting jumpers in an empty Forum.

“I just came over to check my knee,” Mullin said. “Everyone was asking me, ‘How’s the knee?’ It felt fine when I was just walking around and when I was riding the bike. The only time it was bothering me was when I got on the floor and did some running, so that was the only way I could check it out.”

Playing before a sellout crowd of 17,505 at the Forum 24 hours after shooting in solitude, Mullin scored 41 points to match his playoff career high as the Warriors evened the series with a 125-124 victory.

“I felt I was in a groove,” Mullin said. “The guys were giving me open shots and I was real aggressive. But the only thing I was surprised by was my leg. The doctors and our trainer, Tom, did a great job getting me ready to play.

“I was just glad to be playing. You play 82 games and you get a chance to play against one of the best teams in the playoffs and sitting there (Sunday) I felt useless. It was a real down time.”

Mullin made 16 of 21 shots, including all four three-point shots he attempted, and added five of six free throws.

“I’ve seen some terrific shooting performances in my day, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like Chris Mullin had tonight,” Golden State Coach Don Nelson said. “He hit them with people all over him and from every angle. It was an unbelievable performance.”

The game developed into a shootout between Mullin and Laker guard Magic Johnson, who had a career playoff high of 44 points, including 19 in the third quarter.

“It was back and fourth between us,” Johnson said. “He really shot the ball well.”

Mullin, who got five fouls while trying to check Johnson, couldn’t contain Magic, who made 12 of 23 shots and 20 of 22 free throws.

“He’s impossible to guard,” Mullin said. “I heard all week how I guard him well, but I don’t know where that came from. Someone was just trying to set me up.

“I felt Magic was taking me every time. He was really going at me. I was trying my best, but he’s unbelievable. The only thing I could do was try and go back on the (offensive) end.”

With Golden State trailing, 67-58, at halftime, Mullin carried the Warriors in the third quarter, scoring 17 points as Golden State took a 99-97 lead into the final quarter.

Mullin didn’t miss in the third quarter, hitting all six shots he took, including two three-pointers. He also had three free throws.

Mullin, who wore a rubber sleeve on his right knee, didn’t show any effects of the injury until after the game, when he limped onto the court for a TV interview with an ice-pack on his knee.

“The main thing was I just felt good physically,” Mullin said. “For me to play I’ve got to be healthy. I’m not that good to be able to compete with an injury. When I came out and started running with no pain it was like, ‘Wow!’ ”

That seemed to sum up his performance.