Divac Is Houston Problem

He wore the scars of battle--fresh scratches around the right shoulder--and the satisfied smile of a tired winner.

Forty-two minutes against Hakeem Olajuwon had produced 25 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for Vlade Divac. He also had a final-minute basket then the game-clinching free throw with 38 seconds left, leading the Lakers to a 101-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night before a sellout of 17,505 at the Forum.

That’s one important line for Divac. This is another:

“The last couple weeks,” he said, “my game has come back.”

Where it went, no one is quite sure, though it surely has been out there before. All that is certain is that Divac, still bruised emotionally from the missed free throws in Game 2 last spring at San Antonio, has started converting from the line, and beyond.

He came into the game having shot 53.5% from the field the previous 10 outings and 62.9% the last four, then went six of 11 from the field and 12 of 15 at the line. He not only outdueled Olajuwon--who had 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks--but was able to take advantage of the Rocket superstar’s foul trouble for the biggest baskets.

Olajuwon had five fouls when Divac got the ball on the left post. He swung into the lane and made a hook for a 100-97 lead with 50 seconds remaining. Then, with Houston within two points, he made one of two free throws with 38 seconds to go for a 101-98 cushion.

“It was a great game for his confidence--again,” said teammate Nick Van Exel, who had 20 points and 11 assists. “When you see Vlade calling for the ball, that usually means great things for us.”

Playing without flu-ridden Cedric Ceballos, the Lakers hung on to make sure the effort was not wasted. Mark Bryant made two free throws with 28 seconds to go to make it 101-100 and then, after a 24-second violation against L.A. with 3.7 seconds showing, called timeout and got a final chance for the win.

Clyde Drexler, laboring through a four-for-15 night as his post-injury shooting struggles continue, got the ball beyond the three-point circle. Drexler started right, then slipped, not enough to cost him possession, but a stumble that wasted precious time. He had nothing to do in those final ticks but launch a three-point shot that hit the far side of the rim.

“You don’t make excuses,” Drexler said. “You live with what happens.”

This time, Divac happened.

Ceballos spent Friday night at Centinela Hospital Medical Center, but that was more a luxury than a medical necessity--it was to speed up the recovery process and not because the all-star small forward was in any danger. In fact, he is expected to be released today and may play Monday afternoon against Miami.

The Rockets were also without their No. 1 small forward, 6-foot-10 Robert Horry, sidelined by tendinitis in the right knee. With 6-5 Mario Elie taking his place, the Lakers could have gone small and moved Eddie Jones to the frontcourt and added Anthony Peeler to the opening lineup to replace Ceballos. But Coach Del Harris instead gave George Lynch his fourth start, preferring to have Peeler’s offense as an option off the bench and keep Jones at guard now that he has hit stride there.

From there, the Lakers jumped to a 16-point lead late in the first quarter . . . and lost it.

The Rockets caught them at 51 just before halftime, thanks largely to Sam Cassell, with Kenny Smith lasting only six minutes because of flu, getting 12 of his 27 points in the second quarter. It was 83-83 heading into the fourth.

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Laker Notes

Cedric Ceballos may play in the league’s second-biggest market, but that didn’t help him get many all-star votes. Balloting ended Friday and final results should be announced in a few days, but in the fourth set of returns released in mid-week, he was seventh among Western Conference forwards, meaning it will be up to coaches to vote him a reserve for the second consecutive year.

Phyllis Davidson, the wife of Hall of Famer and Rocket TV analyst Calvin Murphy, died Friday morning after an auto accident the night before. Murphy was in Los Angeles with the Rockets, but returned to Houston Thursday night.