Lakers Thinking Playoffs After Holding Off Hawks

What’s the rush?

The Lakers are obviously in no hurry to miss the playoffs after 17 consecutive appearances. They climbed into legitimate contention Sunday night after dumping another title contender in a 102-89 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the Forum as the Denver Nuggets lost at Phoenix, cutting the Nuggets’ lead for the final spot to 3 1/2 games with 11 to play. That includes two head-to-head meetings, starting Friday at the Forum.

Their coach, Magic Johnson, is suddenly in no hurry either. He conceded for the first time that he originally had no intention of staying beyond the end of this season when he first took the job, but his emotions are making a U-turn. No decision yet, and probably none for weeks, but he’s already talking privately about what alterations he would like to make in 1994-95.

“I’m fond of the players,” he said. “They won me over. I was thinking, ‘Sixteen (games) and get me out.’ Now, I might not want to leave.

“It’s going to be tough leaving. I thought it would be easy to do, getting out. Now I say we’ve come a long way. This is going to be a good team. We’re playing well. I hope it’s going to continue.”

If it does, the Nuggets have reason to be worried.

“They should be,” Nick Van Exel said after making four of six three-point attempts to break the team single-season record en route to 16 points and 10 assists.

Anything else?

“The No. 1 seed should be worried, too.”

Said Johnson, asked point blank if the Lakers are going to make the playoffs: “I’m thinking we are. I told them (the players) I think we’re going to be there.”

To emphasize the point, captain James Worthy called a team meeting for earlier in the day to second the notion. Then, with updated scores from the Nugget-Sun game being posted regularly, the Lakers started to pull away in the second quarter of their third contest against a division leader or co-leader in four nights.

The Hawks came in having won seven of their last nine, then fell behind, 42-33, in the second quarter. Van Exel supplied that cushion with a three-pointer from the left side with 4:54 remaining, a shot that came with an exclamation. It pushed him past Johnson for the Laker record for three-point baskets, at 107.

The Lakers were up by the same nine points as late as 46-37, before settling for a 50-43 halftime advantage after making 52.3% of their first-half shots. Elden Campbell, continuing his recent strong play, already had 13 points and eight rebounds.

When Van Exel and Campbell continued to make big contributions in the third quarter, the Lakers continued to extend the lead. Another three-pointer by Van Exel made for the first double-digit cushion, 53-43. Two possessions later, he drove the lane and dished off to Vlade Divac for a layin and a 12-point lead.

Campbell’s turn. He blocked a shot by Adam Keefe, then went to the other end and tipped in a miss by George Lynch. About a minute later, he swatted away Duane Ferrell’s shot, which the Lakers converted into a layup by Tony Smith as the lead went to 66-48.

The drawback for the Lakers was that the play cost them Campbell for the night after he was inadvertently hit in the eye. After getting 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots--all team highs--in only 27 minutes, he went to the hospital suffering from double vision.

If the Lakers needed a push to finish the third quarter, they got it from their coach . . . literally. Wanting to make an impromptu substitution with 19 seconds to play, Johnson summoned Van Exel off the bench and, as the rookie guard headed to the scorer’s table, gave him a push in the back that almost knocked Van Exel over.

The crowd roared and Johnson laughed along. He could afford to. All Van Exel did was go in and drill a three-pointer from in front of the Hawk bench with one second left, good for a 78-60 lead.