PATIL ARMENIAN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff TJ
Cummings leaps above the California All-Star defense to
score in the second half on Wednesday.
By Chris Umpierre
Daily Bruin Staff
Playing his first game in Pauley Pavilion since his four-year
run at UCLA, former Bruin Kris Johnson (’98) had just one
thing to say to head coach Steve Lavin:
“Forty.”
As in forty points.
While Johnson didn’t drop forty on his former team, he and
his California All-Stars gave the No. 14 Bruins all they could
handle, losing to UCLA 81-78 in an exhibition game on Wednesday
night.
Johnson, who played in Westwood from 1995-98, scored a team-high
20 points and grabbed nine rebounds as his All-Stars nearly handed
UCLA its first loss in exhibition play since the 1994-95
season.
“Coaching him was a lot of fun,” Lavin said.
“I’d love to have his offensive arsenal in our
rotation.”
Late in the game, Johnson had a chance to do the Bruins in. He
had the ball at the top of the key with 39 seconds left and his
All-Stars down 79-76.
But UCLA senior guard Earl Watson stripped Johnson as he went up
for a shot and corralled the loose ball.
Johnson immediately fouled the current Bruin, and UCLA was able
to hold on for the victory.
Johnson’s All-Stars led throughout the game until UCLA
took its first lead of the game with five minutes left in the
second half.
The All-Stars began the game with a 21-6 run, exploiting the
Bruins’ shoddy transition and half-court defense.
When the All-Stars weren’t scoring easy layups in
transition, they were knocking down the open jumper from the
perimeter. Throughout the first half, UCLA constantly left players
open for uncontested looks.
The All-Stars were 6-of-12 from three point land and shot 49
percent from the field in the first half.
“I’m disappointed with our execution and with our
effort defensively,” Lavin said. “I just didn’t
think we were sharp in any aspects of the game tonight.”
“But I’d rather find out tonight than next week or
the week after,” he added. “We know we have six days
now (until the season starts).”
UCLA played better defense in the second half, holding the
All-Stars to 33 percent from the field.
Watson said his team, which gave up an average of 95.5 points in
its first two regular season games, has a long ways to go to
improve its defense.
“But it’s hard when you play exhibition teams
because you can’t scout them,” said Watson, who had 26
points Wednesday night. “It’s really just playing
pickup.”
The Bruins played most of the game without preseason Wooden
award candidate Jason Kapono. The long-bombing sophomore was hit on
the bridge of his nose early in the first half.
Kapono will have his nose X-rayed tomorrow to see if it is
broken.
After consulting with the team trainer, he decided it was best
to sit the rest of the game out.
“It was my decision to come out,” said Kapono, who
broke his nose two years ago. “I could have gone back in. I
felt I would have hurt my team by going back in.”
Whether or not the doctors will require him to wear a protective
mask, Kapono says he will be at practice tomorrow.