Lakers Play Odds, Shaq Beats Them : Pro basketball: O’Neal makes two free throws in final seconds for last of his 46 points in 114-110 Magic victory.

Shaq Diesel was already motoring along by the second quarter Wednesday, showing no signs that he would slow down upon hitting 55. It looked for sure like an autobahn kind of night, the Lakers as the hood ornament.

Shaquille O’Neal was dominant. Shaquille O’Neal was powerful. But he’s still Shaquille O’Neal, with the one obvious shortcoming, so the Lakers went for the roadblock. They fouled him.

Other nights--almost every other night, probably--this would work. But as he piled up 46 points on 20-of-26 shooting, seven offensive rebounds and 11 boards in all and five blocks, nothing worked, including the final strategy that partially backfired and became a 114-110 victory for the Orlando Magic.

Challenging in a game in which they had little right to stay close, the undermanned Lakers came back from 16 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to trail only 112-110 with 27 seconds left. They could simply have hoped Orlando would shoot--and miss--quickly enough to leave enough time for a final try at the tie or victory, or they could have fouled O’Neal, notoriously bad from the line, early in the Magic possession and planned to get the ball back down by three points at worst.

Problem was, neither happened. Twice the Magic threw the ball into the post and twice he immediately kicked it back out before Vlade Divac could foul.

Finally, Brian Shaw shot for the Magic, and missed. Only when O’Neal grabbed the rebound and started to go back up did Divac foul. There were 4.6 seconds left, still enough time for a Laker three-pointer if that’s what it took to tie, especially considering they could take the ball out at midcourt after calling a timeout.

So O’Neal, 54.8% on free throws coming in compared to 58.6% from the field, went to the line. He took the ball and threw up something close to a right-handed set shot.

Good.

The Orlando Arena crowd roared. He took the ball again.

Good.

What little chance the Lakers had for the win in those final seconds was now gone. The Magic had the 114-110 cushion.

“When I fouled him, I thought he would at least miss one and give us a chance to tie,” said Divac, who continued to roll with 23 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. “But he showed he is the best player in the league. He did what he is supposed to do--make both in the clutch time.”

Added Sam Bowie, who started at power forward: “We got what we wanted. And he stepped up and did what he normally doesn’t do. Not only did he make two free throws, but he made two free throws in those conditions, with the game on the line. You’ve got to give him credit.”

Everyone did. And he accepted.

“I’m prepared to handle any situation,” O’Neal said. “I’ve been in that situation before, many times.”

But would he rather win this way, with the free throws having a positive impact for a change?

“It would be nice.”

Anything else?

“I’d say I had a pretty good game.”

Good enough that the 46 points tied a season high and marked the eighth time this season he has broken 40. Good enough that the 29 by intermission tied a Magic record. And, most of all, good enough at the line: six for 10, including the two that mattered most.

“He’s been missing a lot of free throws all season, but he’s made a lot also,” teammate Anfernee Hardaway said after contributing 18 points and 12 assists against only one turnover. “That’s what people have to realize. I didn’t have any doubt he would make them both.”

Someone tell Hardaway the coast is clear now. He can uncross his fingers.

Laker Notes

The Laker comeback came with Nick Van Exel, stuck in a shooting slump, on the bench the entire fourth quarter in favor of Anthony Peeler and Sedale Threatt. When asked about leaving his captain out down the stretch, Coach Del Harris responded in a curt tone that Van Exel was banged up from a hip pointer, back spasms and a sprained thumb. Or maybe it’s that he was four of 12 in 29 minutes against the Magic and is shooting only 37% the last eight games? Said Van Exel: “No injuries for me.” . . . Peeler led the Lakers with 26 points. . . . With Elden Campbell out because of the sprained left ankle suffered the night before, Harris started Sam Bowie at power forward after originally planning to go with Anthony (Pig) Miller. Bowie played only five minutes against Miami in his first game back after suffering a fractured rib, but went 28 against the Magic and had 14 points and five rebounds.