Lakers Refuse to Be Swept Aside : Game 3: Divac’s three-point play is crucial in overtime as L.A. cuts Trail Blazers’ margin to 2-1 with 121-119 victory.

OK, so he’s not a wimp.

Vlade Divac, insulted by Portland center Kevin Duckworth, got his revenge Wednesday night at the Forum, converting a three-point play with 27 seconds left in overtime, putting the Lakers ahead to stay in a 121-119 upset of the Trail Blazers, cutting their lead in this series to 2-1.

The fourth game will be Friday night at the Forum.

With the Lakers down, 116-114, Divac took a pass from Elden Campbell, hit a spinning reverse layup, was fouled and made the free throw.

In all Divac scored 18 points with seven rebounds.

Duckworth had 10 points, six rebounds.

“What’s a duck worth?” Laker owner Jerry Buss said to Divac in the jubilant Laker dressing room. “Not as much as a Divac!”

Said Coach Mike Dunleavy: “Vlade came out and gave us what we had to have. He still made some mistakes and I jumped on him for them, but his rebounding and his effort were much greater than in Portland.”

Now, who can they get to call Divac names before Game 4?

The Trail Blazers had won the first two games by 35 points, outrebounding the Lakers by 37.

The Trail Blazers arrived, looking for Jack Haley, who had publicly volunteered for duty in no uncertain terms.

“When I’m on the floor, there will be no layups, there will be no pushing and shoving around,” Haley said. “I think the difference between me and the other players on our team, I’m not going anywhere if anything wants to erupt or if someone wants to push or shove me. I’d be more apt to retaliate rather than just yell at the referee.”

Let’s say the Trail Blazers accepted the challenge.

“Hey do us a favor,” Danny Ainge told one of the Laker coaches before the game. “Play Haley 40 minutes.”

Buck Williams was asked if he had read Haley’s comments.

“Yes,” he said.

What did he think?

“Couldn’t sleep last night. Couldn’t eat, either.”

Haley never did get in.

But the Trail Blazers came out like a team with a 2-0 lead and the Lakers came out like cornered rats. Even with Terry Teagle (26 points) a surprise starter in a three-guard lineup, Los Angeles outrebounded the Trail Blazers in the first quarter, 15-10.

This was another surprise for Dunleavy, who thought he was conceding the boards.

“That’s why I’m a coach,” he said. “I don’t know those things.”

By the middle of the second quarter, the Laker rebounding margin had grown to 27-14 and their lead to 14 points.

The Trail Blazers whittled it down to 53-47 at the half and to nothing midway through the third quarter.

After that, they traded haymakers.

With :47 left in regulation, Divac trotted out his favorite trick, reaching around Duckworth, who was backing him down, and tipping the ball to Byron Scott, who scored on a breakaway dunk, putting the Lakers up, 102-99.

With :29 left in regulation, Terry Porter knocked in his fourth three-pointer of the fourth quarter, tying it 102-102.

The game saw 10 more lead changes in overtime. In one stretch, the lead changed on seven possessions in a row:

Clyde Drexler made a layup, giving the Trail Blazers a 108-106 lead.

Scott three-pointer, Lakers 109-108.

Williams dunk, fouled, makes free throw, Trail Blazers 111-109.

Sedale Threatt, three-pointer, Lakers, 112-111.

Drexler layup, Trail Blazers 113-112.

Threatt layup, Lakers, 114-113.

Drexler, short hook, Trail Blazers 115-114.

It was 116-114 when Divac spun away, putting the Lakers ahead to stay.

The Trail Blazers had their chances. With six seconds left and the Lakers up, 120-118, Drexler was fouled. To that point, he had scored a career playoff-high 41 points, 12 in overtime and had made all 11 of his free throws.

He stepped to the line and missed the first of two.

Trailing 121-119, Drexler put up a 22-footer with :02 left and missed.

“We never expected anything to be easy and here we are,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve got another game Friday night.”

56 FOR JORDAN: Michael Jordan scorches the Miami Heat as the Chicago Bulls advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs. C8

NOT DONE YET: Vlade Divac takes his hurt out on the court against Trail Blazer center Kevin Duckworth. C8