Divac Is On, So Are Lakers : Pro basketball: Inconsistent center has 21 rebounds, 21 points in 101-97 overtime victory over the 76ers.

If Vlade Divac consistently showed as much drive and determination as a rebounder as he did Friday, his name would never have surfaced in trade rumors that swirled before last week’s deadline.

Divac grabbed 21 rebounds and scored 21 points as the Lakers rallied late in the fourth quarter and rolled in overtime to a 101-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

He became the first Laker to collect 20 in a game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Nov. 15, 1981.

The Forum crowd of 14,351 also saw A.C. Green grab a season-high 17 rebounds. The Lakers totaled 63 rebounds, a season-best.

They are 5-0 in overtime, compared with the 76ers’ 3-5.

Despite a 38% shooting night for the Lakers, James Worthy tied the game, 87-87, with 1.6 seconds to play in the fourth quarter when he swished a three-pointer from the left side. Those were his only points of the fourth quarter. The 76ers had gone ahead, 87-84, on rookie Clarence Weatherspoon’s dunk, set up on a bounce pass by Jeff Hornacek with 5.2 seconds to play.

Divac had seven rebounds in the fourth quarter and one in overtime. He also scored six points in overtime to help hand the 76ers their ninth consecutive Forum loss, a streak that stretches to March 9, 1984.

The Lakers, who have won six of their last seven home games and 10 of their last 15 overall, are five games above .500 (30-25) for the first time since they were 18-13 on Jan. 8. Philadelphia (19-36) has lost its last six road games.

Green averaged 43.6 minutes over the five games preceding Friday’s against the 76ers, including a 48-minute effort Wednesday at Golden State. In that span, he averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds, helping fill the rebounding void left by Sam Perkins’ departure.

His success has increased his value to the Lakers as he nears free agency after the season. “I don’t think anything is going to be going on (regarding a new contract) until later,” Green said, “but management’s attitude has been, ‘We’d definitely like to re-sign you, but we’ll wait until the time is right and we can talk about it.’ My main concern is that we can play more consistent. I don’t want to be distracted and waste my focus on anything else right now.”

Green played all but 1:07 of the first half and collected a game-high 12 rebounds. He also made two of four shots, a standard his teammates fell dismally short of matching. On five-for-26 shooting, the Lakers dissipated an early 13-point lead and were fortunate to hold a 45-43 lead at halftime.

Benoit (one for 10) Benjamin and Byron (four for 11) Scott struggled in the second quarter as the 76ers clawed back from the 33-20 deficit they faced after Duane Cooper hit a layup with 41.2 seconds to play in the first quarter.

Coach Randy Pfund used a three-guard unit much of the second quarter, when the 76ers went to a smaller lineup, but that couldn’t stem the Philadelphia surge. It scored the last eight points of the half. The Lakers missed their last 12 shots and were scoreless for the last 6:10, after a layup by Divac put them ahead, 43-32.

The Lakers’ shooting improved in the third quarter, when they hit four of their first 10 shots. But the 76ers stayed with them, with Hersey Hawkins hitting five of his first six shots and Clarence Weatherspoon hitting his first two.

The 76ers took a 57-56 lead--their first of the game--with 7:21 to play in the third quarter, when Jeff Hornacek made two free throws. They led, 71-67, after three quarters.

Laker Notes

Elden Campbell, who sprained his left ankle Wednesday, did not play Friday. “It’s just one game,” he said. Trainer Gary Vitti said the ankle has improved and Campbell’s status remains day-to-day. . . . Doug Christie was assigned number 35, but he is probably a week away from wearing it in a game. “I don’t want to hurt the team by putting guys out there that don’t know what we’re doing, or literally hurt a player by putting him into an intense physical situation until he’s ready,” Coach Randy Pfund said. Christie acknowledged that “I still don’t know the sets well enough because there’s so many of them,” but that’s not crucial because he will see limited action at first. . . . Byron Scott’s three-point field goal 2:13 into the first quarter was the 500th of his career. He is the 12th NBA player to reach that level.