O’Neal Finally Shows Magic the Stuff It Has Been Missing

In just another game, Shaquille O’Neal stepped on the court with a different look in his eye, pressed most of the first half, got a call from his stepfather on a cellular phone during intermission and had teammates trying extra hard to get him the ball inside.

Attempts at downplaying his first reunion with the Orlando Magic lasted all the way to about tipoff, when it became apparent this was not about business, no matter what O’Neal had claimed all week. The emotions sometimes got the better of him, but Orlando did not Friday night, being on the wrong side of 25 points, 18 rebounds, seven blocks and five steals in a 92-81 victory by the Lakers before 17,505 at the Forum.

Said Magic Coach Brian Hill: “He looks like the same player to me. He looks like a great player to me.”

At least he was for enough of the time after a rocky start. The final three quarters, though, should have looked familiar.

“Was I trying too hard?” O’Neal said. “A little, but yeah.”

He settled down, finishing nine of 18 from the field and seven of 10 from the line. That second part might not have looked familiar.

“When we got here, he was more focused,” said Nick Van Exel, who added 20 points and 11 assists for the Lakers. “On the court, he was more focused before the game. You can tell when a guy is ready to play.

“We wanted to win for him. He wanted to win bad.”

The Lakers were up by 13 points early in the fourth quarter against a depleted squad, but not about to get off that easy. Another season maybe.

The Magic was still as close at 79-72 with 2:30 remaining after Darrell Armstrong’s three-pointer. It could have gotten more interesting from there when the Lakers followed that by throwing the ball away, except Orlando failed to score on its next two trips, while Van Exel made two free throws and Elden Campbell hit a hook.

That built the lead back to an insurmountable 11. About a minute later, O’Neal left, having made a run at a third 20-20 in nine games before falling short, although his five steals tied a career high.

“Obviously Shaq wanted to do extremely well against us and I don’t blame him,” said Rony Seikaly, the Magic’s center. “Anybody who plays against his old team wants to kill them.”

The Magic activated Penny Hardaway on Thursday, but, after sitting out the previous 10 games because of torn cartilage in the left knee, he didn’t play against the Lakers either. It could be several more games before he does.

So it was left to the same skeleton crew--Horace Grant, Seikaly and three others who ordinarily wouldn’t be starting--to carry the flag for Orlando. Not the team, the city.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a big deal,” Grant said of the game’s importance in central Florida. “But they [fans] understand our situation.”

Said O’Neal: “The whole world would love for me to have a bad game.”

The whole world minus Los Angeles. A few fans were at the Forum early enough to give Magic players a smattering of boos when they came out about 15 minutes before tipoff, as O’Neal had requested, knowing he will get that and much more March 23 in the rematch in Orlando.

But when did he ask to have the Lakers booed?

They got a mild hazing anyway upon falling behind, 38-27, in the second quarter. O’Neal was one of six from the field by then.

When the Lakers went on a 13-2 run soon after, though, they had the fans’ backing again, and the lead.

It was 42-42 at halftime, with the Lakers shooting 31.7% and the Magic 35.4%. O’Neal had warmed up to four of nine--and was five of six from the line. They couldn’t have been happy watching on TV in Orlando, but the real mood swing was still ahead.

That came with the Lakers’ 13-0 charge over the final 5:03 of the third quarter, even if O’Neal only scored four of the points. When the Lakers also scored on the opening possession of the fourth quarter, the run was at 15-0 and the lead at 67-54.

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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 21 OF 82

* Record: 14-7

* Standing: 2nd place Pacific Division

1996-97 LAKERS VS. THE BEST LAKER TEAMS

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Year Gm. 21 Overall 1987-88 15-6 62-20 1986-87 16-5 65-17 1984-85 14-7 62-20 1979-80 14-7 60-22 1971-72 18-3 69-13

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Note: The five teams above all won NBA championships

THE SHAQ SCOREBOARD

Basketball Numbers

Friday’s Game:

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Min FG FT Reb Blk Pts 41 9-18 7-10 18 7 25

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1996-97 Season Averages:

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Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 39.0 .582 .476 13.4 2.8 25.0

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1995-96 Season Averages:

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Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 36.0 .573 .487 11.0 2.12 26.6

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Money Numbers

* Sunday’s salary: $130,658.53

* Season Totals: $2,743,829.13

* FACTOID: In Game 21 of the 1987-88 season, the Lakers spoiled the Golden State debut of newly acquired Ralph Sampson when Magic Johnson scored 31 points and led a 22-5 run in the final 6:43 for a 113-106 victory.