Divac Is Used to Pressure : NBA playoffs: Laker is rookie at postseason play in the U.S., but he is a veteran on the international level. To him, it’s <i> nema frke</i> .

Vlade Divac faced the Soviet Union for the gold medal in the 1988 Olympics. He starred in the World Championships with all of Europe watching. Just last spring, in the Yugoslav club championships, Divac was hit in the forehead with a coin thrown by an outraged fan, nearly starting a riot in the arena.

But, would the Laker rookie center be ready to handle the pressure of his first NBA playoff series?

Nema frke, Divac would say in Serbo-Croatian.

No problem.

Any Laker fear that Divac, 22, would be at all daunted by the heightened intensity and physical nature of the playoffs was put to rest with his strong fourth-quarter play Sunday in the Lakers’ comeback victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the first-round series.

Since Divac scored 12 points and made several crucial defensive plays against Akeem Olajuwon, Laker Coach Pat Riley said he has no qualms about again turning to Divac tonight in Game 3 to help starter Mychal Thompson.

Riley usually refrains from playing rookies in the playoffs--certainly not in the fourth quarter of a close game. But Divac is not a typical rookie. Riley pointed to Divac’s five years of international experience, which began when he led Yugoslavia’s junior Olympic team to the gold medal in the 1985 World University Games.

“I’m not afraid to go with Vlade any time,” Riley said. “I mean, he’s a five-year veteran in big games. There was probably a time when Jugoplastika Split played the Russians in Moscow and they had to win or go home. That’s pressure. He knows what it’s like. So, the first round of the playoffs doesn’t bother him.”

Riley, actually, made a horrendous gaffe, on a par with referring to the Lakers as the Boston Celtics. Divac played for Partizan Belgrade in the Yugoslav league. Its main rival was Jugoplastika.

But the point was made. Divac is not overwhelmed by playoff basketball, American style.

Divac played the final 10 minutes 10 seconds of Sunday’s victory and scored eight of his 12 points in that span. Included was a dunk on a rebound of Orlando Woolridge’s missed layup that pulled the Lakers to within two points with 1:43 left.

Divac also held Olajuwon scoreless in the fourth quarter. He blocked Olajuwon’s jump shot with 2:10 to play, forced Olajuwon to shoot an air ball earlier and, with 13 seconds left and the Lakers holding the lead, cut off Olajuwon’s driving lanes and forced him to miss a turnaround jumper.

“He’s learning a lot from Akeem,” Magic Johnson said of Divac. “I told him, ‘When you’re in there against Akeem, play hard, but learn something.’ He’s beginning to feel that he belongs in the NBA. He’s not a rookie anymore.”

Divac said that the NBA playoffs are more intense and physical than competition in Europe. And this, after all, is just the first round.

“It’s tougher in NBA playoffs than Olympic because there is more games with one team,” Divac said. “In Europe, you just play one game against one team. I like the playoffs here. In NBA, every game is very tough.

“The referees don’t call everything (as in the regular season). Maybe somebody will kill somebody out there and no call. That’s the way it is. No problem for me.”