A Standard Issue Win for Lakers

Whether the Orlando Magic blew an 18-point lead or the Lakers took it back was of no consequence in the Laker locker room Sunday afternoon.

Forty-eight games in, the Lakers aren’t much on the details anymore. The search for “why” ended months ago, about the time superstars began falling through the cracks of the season. Now it just is, wins followed by losses followed by raised eyebrows followed by charter flights to Colorado followed by another game on another night.

After the Lakers defeated the Magic, 98-96, at TD Waterhouse Centre, on the most dynamic fourth quarter of Luke Walton’s professional career, a three-pointer by Rick Fox, a steal by Derek Fisher and a stop by Gary Payton, it was Fox who grinned and said, “Sometimes, the circus can be fun, you know?”

The issues linger under the big top.

Kobe Bryant sat on the far end of the bench, several feet and at least another game away. Phil Jackson said he would bench starting power forward Slava Medvedenko, probably in favor of the rookie Walton. Shaquille O’Neal sat out the first six minutes of the fourth quarter and Payton all but two, and it was the second unit that closed a 14-point, fourth-quarter gap in 6 1/2 minutes, leading eventually to the Lakers’ biggest comeback of the season. Tracy McGrady scored 35 points against the Lakers, run ragged by the most basic screen-and-roll.

The Lakers have played five times on a seven-game trip, were blown out in two and won or tied three on last possessions in regulation. It is all a struggle, every minute of it, from O’Neal’s free throws to Bryant’s sutured finger to Payton’s playing time.

They were blown out Thursday by a 21-win team in Philadelphia and appeared to have played themselves into a similar circumstance against the 13-win Magic on national television. For most of the first 34 minutes the Magic was quicker and smarter and content to hand the ball to McGrady, which left Orlando 14 minutes and a 79-61 lead to defend.

“Thank God for Luke,” O’Neal said.

As is his habit, and with little to lose, Jackson sent in a unit of Horace Grant, Fisher, Kareem Rush, Devean George and Walton to start the fourth quarter, the Laker deficit 14. Two minutes into the quarter, the deficit was seven. A minute later, the Lakers were within four. And 2 1/2 minutes after that, Jackson summoned O’Neal, the Magic ahead, 87-86. On his first possession, O’Neal, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, scored on a layup, off a pass from Walton.

In that 6 1/2-minute period, from 14 down to one up, Walton had five assists, two points, two rebounds and a blocked shot. He set up Rush for a short jump shot with a pass between his legs, a play that ended with Rush at the free-throw line.

He changed the course of the game with snapped passes and a conscience for teamwork. Bogged down for two quarters by forced entry passes to an Andrew DeClercq-draped O’Neal, the Laker offense became spirited and rhythmic. In the fourth quarter, they made 13 of 22 shots. George was three for four. Rush was two for three. The Lakers scored 31 points, their biggest fourth quarter since Dec. 4.

“We’re just trying to bring it back so the starters can finish it,” Walton said.

Even then, the deficit gone, the Lakers and Magic went to the final moments. Juwan Howard made three consecutive turn-around jumpers, all over Walton, all on the left block, and the Magic led, 96-93, with about a minute remaining. But the Magic, whose 40 losses aren’t by accident, turned the ball over on its next two possessions.

“Horrible execution,” snapped McGrady.

With 11.7 seconds left, Fox hit from 26 feet on the left wing, after the Magic defense had closed on Fisher and then Payton at the same distance. Fox had made one three-pointer in seven games since coming off the injured list and had missed his last nine shots dating to the fourth quarter Wednesday in Cleveland.

“No negative thoughts, no thoughts of ‘Do I want to take this?’ ” Fox said. “I have to take it.”

The score was 96-96. The Lakers had a foul to give, and with that aggressiveness Fisher lunged at Magic point guard Rod Strickland near half court and poked away the ball with 7.9 seconds left. He gathered the ball, took five dribbles to the other end, and shot a pass to Payton darting down the lane. Payton finished with a layup with 4.1 seconds left, and the Lakers were ahead, 98-96.

They defended those final seconds with something close to desperation, kept McGrady from the ball, and as the buzzer neared Payton blocked Gordan Giricek’s 17-footer. It was the third time in a week he’d snuffed a possession at the end of regulation, from Vince Carter in Toronto to LeBron James in Cleveland to Giricek.

Payton had sat for nearly all of the fourth quarter, without regret.

“I told Phil to let them play,” he said. “They did it. They deserved to play. ... We weren’t letting them do the job at the time. Let them run [through] the wall.”