It’s Bigger and Better for Lakers

If it wasn’t a statement game Tuesday night, there were at least statements made. That the Lakers are indeed serious challengers for the Seattle SuperSonics, if only in their head-to-head meetings. That Shaquille O’Neal can make free throws in the clutch. That Byron Scott lives.

All because the Lakers beat the SuperSonics, 110-106, before 17,505 at the Forum, giving Seattle its first two-game losing streak of the season?

That and more.

“Of course it means something,” Nick Van Exel said after getting 18 points, complementing the 32 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two key free throws by O’Neal. “It’s about pride, it’s about respect, it’s about consistency. It’s anything good you want to say. And if it doesn’t mean that much to them, we’ll take it anyway.”

This was the first real Scott sighting since Nov. 17, his second game in the opening lineup. There would be six more starts, but with dwindling numbers as his playing time also decreased, and then a demotion in favor of Rumeal Robinson that led to only 25 minutes the next two games.

It wasn’t only the 16 points, highlighted by four of six three-point shooting, in 20 minutes, although a layup followed by a make from behind the arc did supply the Lakers with a nine-point cushion with 8:59 remaining. A minute and 36 seconds later, he was fronting Shawn Kemp on the right post, before O’Neal could get over to help, and, despite giving away six inches and 50 pounds, drew the offensive foul, Kemp’s fifth.

“I don’t lift weights in the summer for nothing,” Scott said.

Then again, maybe it was a Laker guard thing--Kemp fouled out with 4:12 to go when he tried to drive from the same right post into the lane and instead pushed off on Eddie Jones. Kemp ran to official Ed T. Rush, screamed in his ear, then took a seat on the bench, having done damage with 22 points and 14 rebounds, but limited to only 30 minutes.

At least Kemp would have the company there of another Sonic starter. Center Jim McIlvaine had fouled out with 5:05 left.

Still, Seattle was within striking distance until the final seconds, down, 109-106, after O’Neal made two free throws with 42.3 left, punctuated by a glare at the SuperSonic bench.

“I just wanted to let them know the Haq-a-Shaq doesn’t work anymore,” said O’Neal, who was six of 10 from the line.

It was still 109-106, as the teams exchanged missed opportunities. The last for the Lakers, Scott’s jumper that missed, gave the SuperSonics a chance to tie, but Detlef Schrempf’s pull-up three-pointer from the left side in transition, a good look with about five seconds remaining, was too hard.

Jones got the rebound and was fouled immediately. His one free throw with 2.6 left provided the final margin.

The Lakers were 9-4 against the SuperSonics the previous two seasons, including the playoffs, which meant a grand total of nothing for the first meeting of 1996-97. Seattle wasn’t clearly the team to beat in the West before, mainly because it hadn’t proved anything beside self-destructing in the playoffs, and O’Neal wasn’t here before, fueling the hype about this steamroller allegedly warming up in Los Angeles.

So what did all that mean for Tuesday?

Either that it was a statement game or that it wasn’t. Or both.

“I don’t like to use that term,” Laker Coach Del Harris said. “It’s a media thing. You make a statement every game, whether you want to or not.

“My approach to this is as a good way to close out the first fourth of the season. We have it as a way of evaluation, normally every 20 games, to see how we’re doing.”

Counterpoint:

“Very big,” O’Neal said about 90 minutes before tipoff. “We realize that if want to be on top of the conference, Seattle is one of the teams we have to beat.”

Playing like a man motivated, O’Neal then went out and scored 14 of the Lakers’ first 18 points and helped to get three early fouls on his counterpart, McIlvaine. The Lakers were also quickly forced to alter their lineup when the Sonics wasted little time in exploiting the mismatch of the 6-feet-6 Jones on the 6-11 Schrempf, prompting Harris to send in Jerome Kersey and move Jones to shooting guard.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Season of Expectations

The Lakers acquired nine new players this season, including Shaquille O’Neal and his $120-million contract. In turn, with big acquisitions come big expectations. Throughout the season, The Times will monitor O’Neal’s numbers along with how the team compares to some of the best Laker teams in history.

GAME 19 OF 82

* Record 13-6

* Standing 2nd place

Pacific Division

1996-97 LAKERS VS.THE BEST LAKER TEAMS

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Year Gm. 19 Overall 1987-88 13-6 62-20 1986-87 15-4 65-17 1984-85 12-7 62-20 1979-80 14-5 60-22 1971-72 16-3 69-13

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Note: The five teams above all won NBA championships

THE SHAQ SCOREBOARD

Basketball Numbers

* Tuesday’s Game:

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Min FG FT Reb Blk Pts 45 13-25 6-10 14 3 32

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* 1996-97 Season Averages:

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Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 39.4 .594 .458 13.4 2.5 25.3

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* 1995-96 Season Averages:

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Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 36.0 .573 .487 11.0 2.1 26.6

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Money Numbers

* Tuesday’s Salary: $130,658.53

* Season Totals: $2,482,512.07

* FACTOID: In game 19 of the 1984-85 season, the Lakers held Michael Jordan to 20 points, but Quintin Dailey scored 28 in a 113-112 victory by the Bulls. Afterward, Dailey said: “He [Jordan] might get the glory, but the object is to get into the playoffs. Then, everybody can see you.”