Arrivals, Return Stand Out for Lakers

The hype: An exhibition between the Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers drew 14,149 to the Forum on Friday night.

The hyperactive: A topless guy who painted his upper body purple and gold walked around the floor before tip-off.

The game? What little existed, eventually ending in a 113-92 rout for the Lakers, was dominated by the home team and the emotions of the home crowd, the loudest ovations in what had actually become an anticipated meaningless contest being saved for the arrivals and the return.

Shaquille O’Neal, in his initial Forum game as a Laker, got a loud welcome. When he went to the line for the first time, about 90 seconds in, and made two free throws, the reaction wasn’t far behind. When he took a 50-foot lob pass from Cedric Ceballos, slammed it down while being fouled, and then converted the three-point play, everything else paled.

Kobe Bryant, not only making his home debut but also coming against his hometown team, thrilled with some dazzling moves and dunks. Then he provided a late scare when he drove to the basket, twisted in air, made contact with 76er Tim Kempton and landed hard on his tailbone, leaving the game with 4:26 remaining.

The initial report was a bruised back, minor enough that he should be available tonight when the Lakers play the Phoenix Suns for the championship of the four-team tournament at 8 p.m.

“It hurt when I first fell on it,” said Bryant, who broke his wrist in a summer pickup game at Venice Beach when he tried to break his fall on a similar tumble. “Then after a couple seconds it didn’t hurt that much.”

Byron Scott, back in the Forum as a Laker for the first time since the spring of 1993, came in shooting 41.2% in the three previous exhibitions, then went five of nine, for 11 points in 11 minutes.

O’Neal led all scorers with 25 points and made nine of 13 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds in the 29 minutes.

The Suns won the first game, 106-102, behind 20 points from Sam Cassell and 16 from Wesley Person.

Tracy Murray led the Bullets with 26 points and 13 rebounds off the bench despite fouling out after 28 minutes. Juwan Howard, after being sidelined the first three games because of shin splints in the left leg, went three for 15 from the field in his exhibition debut, but also contributed 11 assists.

Howard said he will sit out tonight, although that’s more to bring the injury back slowly than a sign of new problems.

The Bullets and 76ers play tonight at 5.