Hearn Expected to Be Back on the Air Today

Chick Hearn, suffering from a case of bronchitis so severe that he was unable to announce the second half of Friday night’s Laker playoff game, was better Saturday, and his wife Marge said he will be able to work today’s radio broadcast of Game 4 against San Antonio at the Forum.

“He’s sleeping now, but we went to see Dr. (Joseph) Sugarman this morning, and he said Chick is going to be fine,” Marge Hearn said Saturday afternoon. “We (saw) Dr. Sugarman (Friday) morning and he gave Chick a shot and thought he’d be fine by game time. He told us Saturday, ‘Well, I was wrong.’ ”

Hearn ran his streak of consecutive Laker games to 2,781 Friday night before leaving at halftime. He was replaced by commentator Stu Lantz, and Magic Johnson left his courtside seat to act as commentator.