European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 26, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 Scott Ostler on the Aba magic map no Bull Maic Johnson Over the top. Impossible to beat los Angeles there is a list although i be never actually seen it thatis circulated throughout the Western hemisphere and updated periodically. It is a list of reasons to hate the Lak  it includes such items As no. 7.483. Turbo Wash. According to a regular forum Public address announcement Turbo Wash is the official washing tool of the los an a Clos  you think that does t create Waves of jealousy around then a i hear the Detroit pistons Don t even have an official washing tool that after games they have to take regular showers. No. 279. Bank sponsorship of the forum. Most other Aba teams play in Dis Mal buildings. Boston Garden you would t Send your cockroaches there for summer Camp. The lakers already have a very Nice building and now a Bank comes along and gives lakers owner Jerry Buss lots More Money to make it even nicer. In Exchange the Bank is entitled to Stencil its logo on everything at the forum that does t move including the people in line at the Piza counter. No. 1,066. Jack. Sure we in los Angeles love the big leering lug but in rival Aba cities fans Are sick of Nicholson s sinister court Side visage and  praying the rumours  True and that he really is the new Clipper coach. Now there is a new entry coming onto the list at no. 1 with a Bullet magic Johnson map. Thai s right there actually Are people who Don t feel magic Johnson is deserving of the map trophy that it should have gone to Michael Jordan. The people who hold this belief  mostly easterners transplanted East Erners or other kinds of religious fanatics. This Patti Ness borne of envy and in Norance puts me in the awkward Posi Tion of having to take sides against the very player after whom i pattern Myown game. On the playgrounds 1 Actu ally am referred to As air Ostler Al though not so much for soaring through it As gasping for it. No. There will be no cheap shots taken at the Sultan of co2, not in this column. You probe for weaknesses in Michael Jordan s game and his charac Ter and the Best you can come up with is that his shoes Are overpriced and not Turbow Ash proof. Let s forget about Jordan for a moment and concentrate on the map him self. Exhibit a last saturday the lakers opened the Western conference finals against the Phoenix suns. With 2 22 remaining in the game and the lakers leading by seven Points. Magic fouled out. The lakers held on and won the game by eight Points. Afterwards you would be thought the lakers had saved the Alamo by fighting off the forces of general Antonio Lope de Santa Anna while armed Only with Turbo Wash tools. Riley praised his players and the players praised themselves for being Able to protect a seven Point Lead against a much less experienced oppo nent on the Home boards of the All s quiet on the Western forum or what Ever it s called. I bring this up Only be cause it illustrates How much Johnson Means to the lakers How much his teammates rely on him. To say that the bulls need Jordan More than the lakers need magic is simply erroneous. When magic came to los Angeles 11 years ago the lakers were a struggling team their great Center on the verge of retirement when magic leaves the Lak ers in a few years they will again be a struggling team their same great Center on the verge of retirement. This particular season was marked by experts As the beginning of the inevitable Laker fade out. The main reason that fade Oul has yet to begin is that magic dieted off about 10 pounds of ugly fat swore off nachos. Shaved off his Goatee and  himself to the game. This is not to discount the efforts of James worthy and . Green and other equally fiery eyed lakers. But we re talking about the most influential guard of All time Here. Look at it this Way air is impossible to guard. Magic is impossible to beat. Yes Michael Jordan would have a better Chance of reaching the Aba finals if he had James worthy up front instead of Horace Grant and magic s act would be less spectacular if he could t kick the Ball out to Byron Scott. But you re rated on How you work with the materials you re Given. A Vinci did t get graded Down As an artist because Mona Lisa had a Nice  Why am i bothering to argue with the Jordan is map faction which includes my esteemed los Angeles times colleague hot air Mike Downey voting for a basketball map is an affair of the heart. Debating the Issue is like arguing Over sunsets. Everyone loves air Jordan As is Only right but anyone who can t see that magic is the map should have his or her Contact lenses Turbo washed. Loi Angele times Cotton comes to forum a losing picture Inglewood Calif. It s not that Cotton Fitz Simmons can t win a game in the forum. As recently As feb. 17, 1974, he brought the Hawks Here to play the lakers and actually beat the Home team. Back then Cotton was 6-foot-4 and had hair like Elvis Presley. Now he s 5-8 and the hair he has is fright while. This league can Wear you Down. The lakers can Wear you Down. What is it about the forum Cotton mused after cons Culic loss no. 35, a Streak covering 15 years and five Cotton coached teams. Maybe it s  that s certainly a More inter Sling theory than the prevailing one which is that Cotton keeps bringing teams Here that Aren t quite As Good As the local five. The Streak has stretched out so Long thai it fades in Cotton s mind the losses slacking up in his Mem Ory like derailed freight cars. Any close Calls these last 15 years Collon my personal Streak he said rhetorically. He Shook his head Drifting Down bad memory Lane. Some of the players 1 coached Here   when magic Johnson received his map trophy in a pregame presentation ceremony he grabbed the Mike spoke briefly and then said i m holding up the game. Let s go ahead and gel Down to  you could almost Sec Collon cringe. The lakers getting Down to business especially in the forum tends to be fatal. Fitzsimmons himself has died Here Many limes. A lot of Laker fans especially the younger ones can l remember the last Lime their Leam loss a game in this building or any of her building. Tuesday night in was lakers 101, suns 95. The lakers i railed by eight late in the third Quarter bul that lasted Only a few minutes until Early in the fourth when Orlando Woolridge scored on a drive to put the lakers ahead for Good. Pat Laker coach Riley kept emphasizing the Cotton Fizsimmons has lost 35 straight in . Point not to panic said Byron Scoll. Panic Down by a Mere eight in the third Quarter. There s even a Remolo thought of a i Aker panic 1 these go s spoiled so Altic 29 Points and blew b the sonics with Case. Panic when the lakers  eight Points Down a Phoenix in Phoenix with four seconds left and magic Johnson fouled Oul Mac then it will be time to panic. Why panic when you re the world champions playing Al the top of your game Byron Scott for instance scored 30 poems to win his personal Duel with suns Point guard Kevin John son who scored 22, bul Only four in the second Hall. When Byron s really  Fitzsimmons said they re Good they re awfully Lough to  Scott was mostly on. With 4 30 left he stole a suns pass and turned it into a Layup. The suns scored the next four to Cut the lakers Lead to six Wilh 3 45 left. Then Scott drove across the key and hit a fall away 10-footer while being knocked on his Back. Three lakers rushed Over led by magic Johnson and Sci upon Scott with a vengeance. From afar it looked As though Scott s teammates were Pumm Clingham but replays showed they were administering Low Low fives and 10s before helping Scoll to his  had to do something to get fired up Scoll said. The game was in Lens bul in  was l a lot of  was a lot of defense though. The lakers held the suns to 4-for-43 shooting in the second half. Tom Chambers hounded by worthy had an of her off night hitting 8 of 23 shots from the floor. Just about any time the lakers win a big game Jou can blame in on their defense. Scott and Michael Cooper for instance simply worked Ultra dangerous Kevin Johnson to a frazzle. ."1 Gol a Lillic lir cd in the second half Kevin Johnson said. I have to find a Way to pick spots so i can control it for 48 minutes. I was l Able to sustain thai s a common Ihme of Laker opponents Over the last month. The lakers have won i hair last 14 games including nine in the playoffs. Colton Fitz Simmons in t the Only coach who has trouble with he forum ghosts. He simply has More practice Al in and her fore is Able to Mcmlain a sense of humor about the situation. Besides he likes the Way his Guys have played he thinks the series could Lurn right around in Phoenix Over the  on Eddie Johnson s 2-for-l2 shool ing night Fitzsimmons said when we get Over in that hoi desert Sun hell Knock pm , the Phoenix Arena is air conditioned just like the forum and is not haunted. In s a far Kinder place to Cotton than is the forum but the feeling persists that for Fitzsimmons and his Gutty bal club the time for panic is fast approaching. Lot Ang Ctet Klimt