Forum Booing Taken in Stride

The team that had been playing great for five weeks got booed at home Sunday after playing poorly for 31 1/2 minutes.

“It’s all right,” Coach Del Harris said Monday, his Lakers having been roasted at the Forum for a terrible three quarters against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “People have the right to think we’re going to sing on key every time we cut a record.”

Or as Kobe Bryant said after rallying the fans and the Lakers with his big fourth quarter: “I’m surprised they didn’t boo us more.”

Indeed, sympathy abounded Monday, or at least understanding. The Lakers were the first to admit they played poorly, but it was still strange directed at a team that began the Cavalier game playing .882 ball.

They had the best winning percentage in the league, had won 15 of the first 17 contests, then got booed heading into a timeout with 4:34 left in the third quarter of what would become the first home loss. Not that L.A. fans are known for hoping on and off the bandwagon or anything.

“I don’t think it was all that personal,” Harris said. “Just a momentary thing. They’re still Laker fans.

“We didn’t like it [the game] any more than they did. Give the crowd credit. Once we turned it around, they really jumped on the bandwagon and helped us out.

“That’s as good a Sunday crowd as we’ve had. I say that because Sunday night is not usually as good as Friday or Saturday night. They did their part once we gave them a chance, let’s put it that way.”

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And the crowd wasn’t even the worst part about it:

The Lakers got beat on the fastbreak game at home by the Cavaliers, 20-12.

“That’s an embarrassment for us,” Harris said.

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Compton’s Violet Palmer was one of the referees Monday in Portland. The Lakers have done games with both of the female officials. . . . The Lakers are off today before ending the brief trip Wednesday at Golden State. They return to the Forum to play the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks before heading back on the road for what should be a difficult five-game swing that includes stops in Chicago, Atlanta and Houston.