Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 15, 1996

At the start of business Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls led the NBA in scoring with an average of 106 points per game. . . .

In Elgin Baylor’s last full season with the Lakers, 1969-70, the lowest-scoring team averaged 111.1. . . .

Baylor, the Hall of Fame forward and Clipper general manager, was asked for an explanation. . . .

“The decrease in the number of free throws attempted and made has a lot to do with it,” he said. “When I played, the game was more physical, and that meant more fouls and free throws. It was basically a half-court game, not the transition game that we have now.” . . .

“The free-throw shooters were better. Today, even a lot of the good field-goal shooters don’t shoot well from the line.” . . .

The rules--including three attempts to make two, and two shots for all backcourt fouls--also created more free-throw opportunities. . . .

The inception of the three-point basket hasn’t made for higher-scoring games. . . .

“The field-goal shooting percentages weren’t as high as they are now, but that meant more offensive rebounds and more field-goal attempts,” Baylor said. “The players are getting easier shots, but not as many.” . . .

This might become the first season since 1956-57 that the NBA leader scores an average of fewer than 106 points. . . .

The Cleveland Cavaliers are allowing an average of only 90.7 points per game. Their 89.8 average last season was the lowest in the league since the Syracuse Nationals gave up 89.7 in 1954-55. . . .

“Team defense is better than it used to be,” Baylor said. . . .

Of course, the numbers that interest him the most are the Clippers’ wins and losses. . . .

They have 16 wins, only one fewer than all last season. . . .

The problem is that they also had 16 wins nine games ago. . . .

“We’ve had a lot of key people out with injuries,” Baylor said. “We’ve got young players who are trying to learn how to win in the NBA. We’ve blown leads. But the potential is there. With good health and help from a draft pick or someone else we acquire, we could be a winning club next season.”

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Before he tested positive for HIV, Tommy Morrison was being groomed to fight Mike Tyson. . . .

But it wasn’t the first time that Morrison missed out on a big payday. . . .

After winning a 12-round decision from World Boxing Organization champion George Foreman in 1993, he was going to get $8 million for a match against World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis. . . .

Against the advice of many, he decided to take a tuneup bout against Michael Bentt in Morrison’s home state of Oklahoma. . . .

Bentt knocked out Morrison in the first round. . . .

“Considering the way I fought last time, I thought only one person would show up today,” Gabriel Ruelas told a large turnout at a news conference Tuesday at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, where he will fight Manny Castillo on March 13. Azumah Nelson knocked Ruelas out in the fifth round Dec. 1. . . .

Ruelas, who is trying to cope with the Jimmy Garcia tragedy, is receiving psychological counseling at UCLA. . . .

Rafael Ruelas will also try to mount a comeback on the same same card against Anthony Johnson. . . .

Promoter Bob Arum has signed Nelson, who will defend his World Boxing Council super-featherweight title in a third match against Jeff Fenech in Australia. . . .

An underrated middleweight is WBO champion Lonnie Bradley. . . .

Marcus Allen, who loves Kansas City and lives there year round, is a free agent but is expected to re-sign with the Chiefs for his 15th season in the NFL. . . .

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UCLA’s streak of 48 winning basketball seasons is the longest ever for an NCAA Division I school. . . .

In 1947-48, the season before John Wooden replaced Wilbur Johns as coach, the Bruins were 12-13. . . .

Their closest call since was in 1985-86 when they were 15-14. . . .

For the record: Arizona’s last-second victory over Cincinnati on Sunday was at Phoenix, not Tucson. . . .

The Pacific 10 Conference leader in double-doubles is USC forward Jaha Wilson with 10. . . .

Television stars Michael Chiklis, Jack Wagner and David Leisure are among the players to beat Sunday in the Celebrity-Am that begins Nissan Open week at the Riviera Country Club. . . .

Owner-trainer Craig Lewis says Santa Anita Derby winner Larry The Legend is due to resume training in April. . . .

On Valentine’s Day, Light Up My Heart finished ninth in the eighth race at Santa Anita.