Shaq Is One-Man Swat Team

The Lakers’ winning streak reached five games Friday night with a 120-119 overtime victory against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Forum.

The emotional impact reached to the sky.

“It was really big,” said Travis Knight, who scored the Lakers’ last three points of regulation and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, both season bests. “It was the way everybody reacted. Nobody got down for a second.”

The way everybody reacted to being down in the fourth quarter and overtime. The way they ended the night by scoring on five of their final six possessions, then getting a game-saving block from Shaquille O’Neal on Kenny Anderson with about two seconds left.

The right-handed swat out of bounds, leaving the Lakers only to survive an airball by Rasheed Wallace at the buzzer, was one of six by O’Neal, going nicely alongside the 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Nick Van Exel had 26 points and 15 assists.

That Portland forced overtime by getting second-chance tips on its final two possessions, by Arvydas Sabonis with 44.6 seconds left and then Wallace with 2.5 ticks remaining, to make it 107-107 at the end of regulation should be of concern to the Lakers. But it should not be a surprise--the Trail Blazers came in as the league leader by percentage in rebounding and second only to New Jersey on the offensive boards.

Turned back in a bid for a fourth consecutive win at the Forum, even after Elden Campbell was kicked out for an obscene gesture to an official with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers jumped to a 112-109 advantage in the five-minute extra period. But the Lakers, having made up an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, responded again. With 16.4 seconds to go, when Van Exel’s drive-and-dish became a layup by O’Neal, they were up, 120-119.

Portland called timeout. Anderson got the ball about 30 feet out on the right side, dribbled the clock down, then charged down the lane. He was about four feet from the basket when O’Neal emerged, especially his swinging right arm.

If nothing else, it was the first game in NBA history where players got carded. Kobe Bryant, 18 years and four months old, remained anchored to the Laker bench, but maybe that’s what happens when you get old. The Trail Blazers went to their Dream Teen, Jermaine O’Neal, at 18 years and two months having replaced Bryant as the youngest player, in the first half of a close game.

The two, friends as teammates and opponents during various prep all-star games and summer tournaments, are in similar situations, even if not on Friday. Both have been held back by injuries, O’Neal making only his fourth appearance because a bruised left knee cost him the first month. And both are youngsters on teams that are already stockpiled with youth.

“They’re similar, except with us, we already have rookies who are playing,” Laker Coach Del Harris said, referring to Knight and Derek Fisher. “I think that Kobe has played more significant minutes than O’Neal, if I’m not mistaken.”

Actually, O’Neal, no relation to Shaquille, had played only 15 minutes total before Friday. A lanky 6-foot-11, 226-pounder from Columbia, S.C., and the 17th pick in the draft, he was sent in early in the second quarter with the Trail Blazers down by seven. Their deficit would soon reach 11.

Next, however, came a 17-7 run by Portland that made it a one-point game, 43-42, with 4:20 remaining in the half. Jermaine O’Neal was only there for the start of the rally, replaced by Sabonis.

But the Trail Blazers couldn’t take the lead. Baskets by Van Exel and Eddie Jones, sandwiched around a Jones steal, allowed the Lakers to regain the momentum and go into the break with a 52-48 advantage.

With Anderson making four of five shots and scoring 10 points in the third quarter, Portland, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, went ahead by as many as seven points. The Trail Blazer lead was 82-77 heading into the fourth, but things were about to get worse for the Lakers.

Campbell was having success on offense against Chris Dudley, scoring twice in the first four possessions of the final period. But he also got his fifth foul with 10:50 left. Harris decided to keep him in.

Campbell lasted another 67 seconds before the single-technical ejection from official Gary Benson. There went the Lakers’ power forward who had contributed 14 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes. There went the Lakers’ hot hand in the early going of the fourth quarter.

The rest of the Lakers? They decided to stick around until the end.

(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 25 OF 82

* Record: 18-7

* Standing: 1st place Pacific Division

1996-97 LAKERS VS. THE BEST LAKER TEAMS

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Year Gm. 25 Overall 1987-88 19-6 63-20 1986-87 19-6 65-17 1984-85 15-10 62-20 1979-80 16-9 60-22 1971-72 22-3 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 46 14-29 6-9 10 6 34

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1996-97 Season Averages:

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Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 39.4 .572 .491 13.0 3.0 25.7

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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: $3,266,463.25

* FACTOID: Trailing, 82-65, in the third quarter of Game 25 and with their 16-game winning streak in doubt, Bill Sharman, coach of the 1971-72 Lakers, put Leroy Ellis in the game. Ellis grabbed 11 rebounds in the final 20 minutes and the Lakers rallied for a 131-116 victory over Philadelphia. Jim McMillian scored 41 points.

A Season of Expectations