Van Exel Can See Difference

By TIM KAWAKAMI

March 14, 2000 12 AM PT

DENVER —

Even Nick Van Exel, banished to the Denver Nuggets from the Lakers two years ago, can see and concede that the Lakers are playing better than they have in years.

Especially Nick Van Exel can see this.

“They can come into an arena and put fear into teams,” Van Exel said after scoring 17 points and handing out 15 assists, which was not enough to knock off the Lakers on Monday.

“They’re playing their best ball. . . . They’re the best team in the league.”

Van Exel told Kobe Bryant the exact same thing at the end of the game, and Bryant was not about to argue after the Lakers’ 19th straight victory.

“I agree with him,” said a smiling Bryant, who had 22 points and nine rebounds.

“I mean, we have a different mentality this year, it’s kind of take it every day that it comes . . . that’s a huge difference. Because if you look too long, you can skip steps, and we haven’t done that to this point. [Van Exel] said, ‘You all are kicking you-know-what . . . ‘

Laker center Shaquille O’Neal made 12 of 16 free-throw tries, including six of six in the fourth quarter, all six of which went up softly and swished cleanly.

“I’ve been shooting them pretty well the last 15-20 games,” said O’Neal, who recently raised his percentage above .500 for the first time.

“I just want to get my percentage up going into the playoffs. Because I step my game up when playoff-time comes around.”

Said Van Exel: “When he shot his first free throw, it was soft, and I knew it was going to be tough.”

With two days before their next game, at the Washington Wizards, Coach Phil Jackson recently changed plans and is keeping the Lakers in Denver for an extra day-and-a-half in order to maximize practice time.

Jackson said he also toyed with the idea of flying out to Washington early and doing something special, much like he once did with the Chicago Bulls when he took them to the Statue of Liberty.

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TRIPLE PLAYS / The Big 3

Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice have been the driving force behind the Lakers’ success. How they fared:

O’NEAL

*--*

Mon. Season 40 Points 28.5 9 Rebounds 14.2 7 Assists 3.8

*--*

BRYANT

*--*

Mon. Season 22 Points 22.6 9 Rebound 5.9 5 Assists 4.6

*--*

RICE