Lakers, Chick Answer Call

When the lights were finally out, the eggs cooling, the butter getting hard and the jello jiggling, when it was apparent the mustard would stay on the hot dog, when the Lakers had overcome not being able to throw a pea into the ocean during a dreadful first half, when they survived a fate much worse than being faked into the popcorn machine, only then did the refrigerator door close.

That was Kobe Bryant slamming it shut. A monster tip-in for a critical late cushion and two free throws to seal the game had turned a lackluster showing into a 92-89 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday afternoon, saving the Lakers not only from defeat, but a lifetime of headaches:

Having to hear from Chick Hearn for the next 3,000 games how they ruined his big day.

The final 34 seconds before the capacity crowd of 17,505 at the Great Western Forum saved them from the bitter earful and the bitter setback. Robert Horry’s steal, Bryant’s offensive rebound and Bryant’s free throws--not to mention Shaquille O’Neal’s 35 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots--rescued the Lakers from the first half of 34.1% shooting and a fourth quarter of 30%. Rescued them from defeat against a team that came in having lost eight of the previous 11 and were without Penny Hardaway and Mark Price.

“It was a good win, but we did it the hard way,” Coach Del Harris said. “When you lose the rebounding game and shoot 58% from the free-throw line and 40% from the field, it’s tough to win ballgames. But I thought mentally the guys were strong.”

Lose the rebounding game?

The Magic had a 46-34 advantage in that department, and it was only that close because Nick Van Exel, the point guard, got seven. No Laker besides O’Neal and Van Exel had more than three.

Bryant got two--but the only one that really mattered.

He made his most significant contribution on the heels of the same from Horry, the power forward who, with the Magic coming out of a timeout, intercepted a pass by Gerald Wilkins near midcourt and steamed in for a dunk. That was one of four steals for Horry, to go with 11 points, seven assists and three blocks, though only three rebounds.

Horry was fouled by Darrell Armstrong with 31.2 seconds left. At the line, Horry missed one try, then the other. The Magic could have survived the turnover and gotten the ball back trailing, 87-86.

Except that Bryant timed the play perfectly. With Danny Schayes, Orlando’s 6-foot-11 center, to his left on the left side of the lane, Bryant used his quickness to negate what would have been a losing battle straight to the ball and instead curled around Schayes, reached up with left hand and tipped it in.

“I just hesitated a little bit and he made a heads-up play,” Schayes said.

Said Bryant, “As soon as the ball left [Horry’s] hand, I knew Danny would not react as fast. I knew if [Horry] missed the shot, I’d get the rebound.”

So Schayes, the 38-year-old veteran, was made to look bad by the 19-year-old swingman. This is becoming less and less an exclusive club, but the mistake by Schayes could have turned the game to the Lakers for good. The offensive rebound gave them an 89-86 lead with 30.6 seconds left, an advantage that held up when Bryant made two free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining for a 92-89 lead and Armstrong missed a running three-pointer at the buzzer.

“We don’t get rebound [baskets] off missed free throws very often,” Harris said. “Six in 39 games, to show you how big that play was.”

And to show you even more about Bryant.

“The things he does--I don’t know,” Van Exel said of his teammate. “You really can’t say much about it anymore because he does things all the time. It was a big rebound, though.”

On a big day. Hearn got his ceremony and O’Neal got his victory over his former team, still a big enough deal despite public declarations--”Just another game”--to the contrary.

The first meeting, Dec. 6 of last season, resulted in O’Neal getting 25 points and 18 rebounds, also at the Forum. This one would have been much worse than the 35 points if he’d had the ability to finish or so much as a decent shooting touch early, having missed seven of 12 attempts in the opening half.

Instead, he had to settle for a fifth 30-something performance in the last six games and get another chance at the Magic on Feb. 22. That will be his first appearance in a Laker uniform in Orlando since leaving as a free agent.