Van Exel Steps Up in Laker Victory : Pro basketball: Guard has usual impressive game at Palace of Auburn Hills in 101-98 victory over Detroit.

What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?

Nick Van Exel, of all people, ascended to the hero’s role Wednesday night, becoming the Palace guard again merely 24 hours after the frustration and confusion of an offensive attack gone awry had won out once more. From that emerged a dangerous shooter.

The Lakers rode this to a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, then braced for the obligatory collapse. It came in a big way, before they got two clutch free throws from Fred Roberts and two more from Van Exel in the final 5.4 seconds to hold off the Detroit Pistons, 101-98.

That Van Exel would locate himself at the Palace of Auburn Hills is no surprise. Playing about a four-hour drive from Cincinnati, his college home, with several fans among the 14,579 wearing Laker No. 9 jerseys or holding pro-Van Exel signs, he made his third positive impression in three visits to the Palace.

He went from 16 points and a pair of three-point shots as a rookie and 35 points and six baskets from behind the line in 1994-95 to a season-high 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the second installment of the Lakers’ six-game tour. And, after coming in shooting only 36.3% from the field, he made 10 of 19 shots, including four of eight three-point baskets.

“Obviously, he played his best game of the year,” Coach Del Harris said.

Said Van Exel: “I was feeling great. A lot of my shots were falling, and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

It also helped give the Lakers a 93-77 cushion with 9:47 remaining, after they had trailed by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, Van Exel having already accounted for 28 of his points.

But the team for whom wasted big leads has become almost commonplace needed about seven minutes to turn this one tense. They stood around on offense, allowing the Pistons to climb within 97-92 with 2:47 left.

Even the Lakers’ good plays were going bad--Elden Campbell blocked Grant Hill’s drive down the right side, but the ball flew right to Lindsey Hunter, who hit a three-pointer along the baseline. That made it 97-95 with 50.3 remaining.

When Van Exel’s runner down the lane missed, the Pistons had a chance for a tie or the lead. They called time out, then, when Eddie Jones and Campbell cut off Hill before he could get down the lane, Allan Houston spotted up for an open three-point basket.

Houston got the shot off, but it hit the heel of the rim. Hill knocked the ball out of bounds with 7.4 seconds showing, and the Lakers called time out to regroup. Harris sent out five shooters: Van Exel, Jones, Sedale Threatt, Cedric Ceballos and Roberts.

When play resumed, Ceballos, at midcourt, threw the ball in to Roberts along the left sideline, not far from the Detroit bench. Roberts caught it, then was fouled immediately by Hill. He had attempted only four free throws the previous 13 games and now was going to the line with 5.4 seconds remaining and this one hanging largely in the balance.

“I was nervous,” Roberts said. “I felt like I could make them. I’ve worked on them enough. But that’s a tough situation to come in.”

His first try hit the front of the rim, then the back, then dropped through. His second swished.

At 99-95, the Lakers had some breathing room. They needed every bit, because Terry Mills’ three-point shot with 2.2 seconds left made it a one-point game again. Another timeout, another entry pass by Ceballos, this time to Van Exel, then another intentional foul.

Van Exel made both attempts with 1.7 seconds to go, supplying the 101-98 margin that held up when Mills’ long pass to Hill for a desperation Piston three-point basket was tipped away by Jones. Victory was theirs--finally.

“That was a key win for us,” Harris said. “That might give us some team unity. It was a difficult game to win, being that it was our seventh game in the last 10 days.

“We’ve been to Texas and back, to L.A., to New York and part way back. Eddie Jones has been hurt. [Anthony] Peeler has been hurt. Vlade [Divac] has been hurt. And we won four of the seven games. So it’s a little early to order a tombstone for us.”

The same goes for Van Exel.