Shaq Becomes Handy Again

By TIM BROWN

Nov. 15, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The Lakers found their game Tuesday night in their eighth try.

It was not their perfect game, not yet, but they looked comfortable with themselves and, finally, with this triangle thing.

Shaquille O’Neal, bum thumbs and all, and Kobe Bryant took turns ravaging the Denver Nuggets, who were incapable of defending either.

As a result, the Lakers won, 119-103, at Staples Center, which saw its first few minutes of garbage time.

O’Neal broke free of a three-game shooting slump, made 16 of 21 field-goal attempts, and scored 34 points. He also took a season-high 19 rebounds.

Bryant scored 31 points, his third consecutive game of 30 or more, had nine assists and, for the first time this season, made more shots (12) than he missed (11).

Then he chided former Laker Nick Van Exel, who was assigned to Bryant.

“I used to kill Nick when he was here,” Bryant said, “and I’m going to continue to kill him even now that he’s in Denver.”

He grinned and narrowed his eyes.

“I’m figuring it out, man,” Bryant said. “I’m figuring it out and I’m just getting started.”

The Lakers touched the 100-point mark with 8:26 left in the fourth quarter, withstood a brief Denver run, then finished the Nuggets with more Shaq and more Kobe.

A month after swearing off all anti-inflammatory medication, O’Neal succumbed to the pain in his thumbs and popped a couple of Indocin early Tuesday. By game time, his thumbs were better but his stomach was upset.

Nausea is, of course, a common side effect.

A previously undiscovered side effect, however, was all of the pain this caused Nugget center Raef LaFrentz, who guarded--well, “guarded” is too strong--O’Neal in a 15-point, five-rebound first quarter. Or, the waves of nausea that might have overcome Nugget Coach Dan Issel at approximately the same time.

LaFrentz suffered a contusion on the back of his left hand and required X-rays at halftime. He did not return. Much to O’Neal’s dismay.

“I’ve been here for five years and I’ve played through every knickknack injury known to man,” O’Neal said.

Asked if O’Neal looked hurt to him, Van Exel snapped up a final box, located O’Neal and read across the line.

“Let’s see,” he said. “Thirty-four. Nineteen. Not really.”

Bad thumbs and all, O’Neal had his touch back. He made eight of his first nine shots, had those 15 points before LaFrentz wiped the first bead of sweat from his forehead, and set up Bryant for a stunning reverse dunk alley-oop.

In a week that has already seen the Globetrotters lose and the Atlanta Hawks win, however, the undermanned Nuggets stayed with the Lakers well into the third quarter.

Antonio McDyess and Van Exel led yet another high-scoring game against the Lakers. And after all the talk in the last week about Phil Jackson’s players catching up with Tex Winter’s offense, it is the Laker defense that is not affording them the occasional blowout against the average teams. The Nuggets certainly would qualify.

The Lakers entered having allowed their opponents to make 43.7% of their shots from the field, which ranked 19th in the NBA. Last season, the Lakers led the league, at 41.6%.

So, the Lakers scored a season-high 60 points in the first half and the Rockets scored 57, the most by an opponent in the first half this season.

In the third quarter, the Lakers defended the basket directly in front of Jackson, who loudly encouraged them to play with more energy.

Perhaps as a result, the Lakers played a strong defensive quarter that led to a handful of fastbreaks and two dunks by Bryant, one a dramatic tomahawk number and the other a reverse. They outscored Denver, 31-18, with Horace Grant getting nine points.

“I think we’re getting better,” O’Neal said. “We have to keep gaining momentum and trying to get better. Personally, I’d like to be where we are now and working toward something.”

Jackson stayed with the starting lineup he first tried Sunday against Houston. Brian Shaw started with Ron Harper in the backcourt. Rick Fox, who started the first six games at small forward, came off the bench and Bryant was on the wing. The offense again looked better for it, shooting 55.8%.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Shaq on Track

The Nuggets were the perfect victims Tuesday night as Shaquille O’Neal broke out of his recent slump.

LAST 3 GAMES

Points: 17.0

Field-goal %: .413

Rebounds: 9.7

Free throw/%: 13-29/.448

TUESDAY

Points: 34

Field goal pct.: .762

Rebounds: 19