Early in the evening, dressed regally in royal blue all the way down to his suede shoes, Shaquille O'Neal entered the players' entrance at the TD Waterhouse Centre and made a right instead of a left.

One way heads to the visiting locker room, the other to the home.

It is a minor difference.

In a major way.

It is six seasons now that Shaquille O'Neal has been making that right-hand turn, the wrong turn, dressing in the wrong locker room, sitting on the wrong bench.

Six seasons since he left for the Left Coast.

He was only in Orlando for four.

Hard to believe.

Time moves on, but it seems to have stood still for the Magic. The "what ifs" that were once whispers grow louder with each passing year. They have become a roar, hard to ignore, as Shaq continues to add NBA titles to the legend that is the Los Angeles Lakers. Each visit back, like the one he made Wednesday night, wearing the hated purple and gold, is a reminder wrought with pain.Shaq enjoys last laugh

When O'Neal left Orlando, many of us (me included) said he'd never win an NBA title. We enjoyed trotting out the old quote he once blithely uttered, when he said he had won "at every level except college and the pros."

We'd laugh at that one. Mockingly.

Of course, we know now who has gotten the last laugh.

Shaq is only five weeks shy of 30 years old, and yet if you were starting an NBA franchise and you could pick one player to build your team around, would you choose anybody else but him? You can talk all you want about the Kobe Bryants and the Vince Carters and the Tracy McGradys and the Kevin Garnetts. You can theorize and hypothesize and philosophize until your face turned blue, but when it really comes down to it all those guys stand in Shaq's shadow -- literally and otherwise.

Shaq, his game more complete and his maturity more advanced, is the reason why the Lakers are on the verge of winning a third NBA Championship. Last night, he did his typical bullying beneath the basket, pushing the likes of Andrew DeClercq around like a rag doll. And he threw enough bricks from the free-throw line to build a house. But you don't need to be an astute student of the game to see that he has a repertoire of shots around the basket and a rare athleticism for a man of his size.

He led all scorers, which, of course, included Kobe and T-Mac. His Lakers won.

So you can't help but wonder what would've been had he stayed in The City Beautiful? Would it be the Magic who were now motoring toward a third NBA title? Would building a new modern arena be a foregone conclusion instead of a topic for raging debate? Would the Magic be sporting a "For Sale" sign today?

Turn right, or turn left?

It makes all the difference.Bigger than Mickey

To be sure, there were hugs and handshakes waiting for Shaq when he entered the arena. Security people. Stadium support. The little folks that Shaq has always connected so well with. He is just one of many stars in the solar system that is Southern California. But had Shaq stayed in Orlando, he'd be bigger than that mouse named Mickey.

It hurts.

And everybody knows it.

"People around here will always be injured and stung by it," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. You move on and we're trying to win a title here without him. But there will always be a 'How can you lose Shaq?' syndrome around here until we do something big. And, really, that's the only way it can be."

And so that's the way it is.

People booed Shaq last night, but not with a whole lot of heart in it, certainly not as lustily as back in the late '90s, when the wound of Shaq's defection was still fresh. Shaq's cutting remarks about Orlando being "a dried up old pond" had penetrated deep.

But he is still an Orlando resident, his house in Isleworth his main crib. Shaq even returned here recently when he incurred a three-game suspension and had a rare week off. He maintains that not only will he maintain his home here, but that he will return for good one day.

Of course, that day will be when his playing career is over.

Right or left?

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes: It's going on six years now.

He's been there longer than he was here.

"Until we win a championship, there absolutely will always be the 'How could you lose Shaq' syndrome around here," Magic Coach Doc River acknowledged Wednesday, just a few hours before Shaq's Lakers dismantled his Magic 111-93. "People will always throw that in our face."

In the years since he left, the emotions have changed. Orlando has gone from defiance (we will show him), to anger (we will boo him), to sadness (we will mourn him).

When he was introduced Wednesday, there were nearly as many cheers as jeers. After leading the Lakers to back-to-back championships, Shaq's return here now is more torture than treason.

This is like seeing an old girlfriend six years later -- and she is more beautiful than ever and married to Freddie Prinze Jr.

As he trotted off the court, a fan held up a sign that said, "Lakers Tear Down The House That Shaq Built."

They don't hate Shaq around here anymore.

They just miss him. Much like Toronto misses Tracy McGrady.

With the New York Knicks struggling and possibly in the hunt for a new head coach this summer it was inevitable that Doc Rivers' name would eventually surface in rumors.

But while Rivers, a former Knicks player, has a distinct affinity for New York and the Knicks' franchise, he said he has no plans of leaving the Orlando Magic any time soon.

"I'm a Magic coach and I'm going to stay a Magic coach," Rivers said. "That's not going to change. I'm going to stay here."

Jeff Van Gundy resigned as New York's head coach on Dec. 10 and the Knicks have gone just 7-16 since then under Don Chaney, who was promoted from within. Despite having the NBA's highest payroll, New York lost eight games in a row at one point, including a 43-point home drubbing to Charlotte. But since then, New York has won four games in a row.

Rivers played for the Knicks from 1992-95, the period during his 13-year playing career that he calls his favorite. Rivers won the NBA's Coach of the Year award in 2000 after leading a starless Magic team to a 41-41 record. He was influential in the Magic landing free-agents Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill in August of 2000, and he has the Magic in the playoff race again this season despite another season-ending injury to Hill.

Rivers is under contract with the Magic through the 2004-05 season and has an option for the 2005-06 season.He originally signed a four-year, $8 million contract with the Magic in 1999, but inked a two-year, $16 million extension last spring that boosted his pay to an average of $5 million a season.

"I loved the Knicks and I still think it's still the single-best place I played as a player," Rivers said. "I love New York, I love the fans there and I love the city. But I love where I'm at more. I love a lot of things about where I'm at so I'm going to stay here."

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Shaq impact: Rivers is the first to admit that Shaquille O'Neal's monstrous shadow continues to hover over the Magic franchise that he jilted in 1996 with his free-agent defection to the Los Angeles Lakers. Rivers said that even though he wasn't a part of the Magic when O'Neal left, he is often asked by fans how the franchise could lose the 7-foot-1, 315-pound center. Rivers said the only way the Magic will ever get beyond the O'Neal loss is by winning a championship.

"People around here will always be injured and stung by that," Rivers said. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. You move on and we're trying to win a title here without him. The only way to really move on is to win a title here.

"But there will always be a 'How-can-you-lose-Shaq?' syndrome around here until we do something big. And really that's the only way it can ever be."

And if Shaq were still in Orlando? Rivers admitted things would be drastically different. "We'd have a new arena, we'd have a title and everybody would be happy," Rivers said."We'd have the arena, we'd be driving new cars and we'd like each other a lot more."

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Grant gone: Magic center Horace Grant missed Wednesday's game with an intestinal virus, forcing the Magic to start 6-foot-8 Don Reid against O'Neal. Grant played alongside O'Neal in Los Angeles, helping the Lakers win their second championship in as many seasons. As a joke, someone in the Lakers' lockerroom wrote a message on the blackboard directed at Grant. "Where's Horace?" the message said. "Shaq-o-ria."

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Owner Shaq?: With Magic owner Rich DeVos putting the franchise up for sale, Grant was asked if O'Neal might be interested in possibly buying into the team someday. Grant said such a scenario isn't quite as far-fetched as it might seem because of O'Neal's sincere affinity for Central Florida. O'Neal still lives in his Isleworth mansion in the offseason and was back in Orlando earlier this month when he was suspended for three games for fighting.

"I think if the right person went to him and asked him to invest half and gave him all of the pros and cons he'd think seriously about it," Grant said. "He already sings and makes movies. Who knows, he might want to be an owner too."

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Back to school: Magic stars Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller drove from Orlando to Gainesville for Tuesday night's college basketball game between Kentucky and Florida. Miller starred at the University of Florida for two seasons before jumping to the NBA following his sophomore season. McGrady verbally committed to Kentucky after high school, but later chose to bypass college and jump straight to the NBA.

"That might have been the first or second college game I've ever been to and it was kind of different because the fans were into the whole game," McGrady noted."It was kind of a different game to watch in person. I guess it looked kind of easy, but I wouldn't know because I didn't go to college."

And which team was McGrady pulling for? "I wasn't even watching the game," he joked. "I was looking for (actress and Kentucky fan) Ashley Judd."

John Denton of the Florida Today reports: With the New York Knicks struggling and possibly in the hunt for a new head coach this summer it was inevitable that Doc Rivers' name would eventually surface in rumors.

But while Rivers, a former Knicks player, has a distinct affinity for New York and the Knicks' franchise, he said he has no plans of leaving the Orlando Magic any time soon.

"I'm a Magic coach and I'm going to stay a Magic coach," Rivers said. "That's not going to change. I'm going to stay here."

Rivers is under contract with the Magic through the 2004-05 season and has an option for the 2005-06 season.He originally signed a four-year, $8 million contract with the Magic in 1999, but inked a two-year, $16 million extension last spring that boosted his pay to an average of $5 million a season.

"I loved the Knicks and I still think it's still the single-best place I played as a player," Rivers said. "I love New York, I love the fans there and I love the city. But I love where I'm at more. I love a lot of things about where I'm at so I'm going to stay here."

Checking out the Gators

Tracy McGrady said he was little surprised at what he saw in Gainesville when he went to watch the Florida/Kentucky basketball game Tuesday night. Amazingly, it was the first major college basketball game he had watched in person. McGrady, who is from Auburndale, went directly from high school into the NBA. He went to the game with teammate Mike Miller, who played at Florida. "It looked a little easy, but I guess I wouldn't really know," McGrady said. "It's just a different game, but basketball is basketball." McGrady admitted that he didn't spend all his time watching the game. "I was looking for [actress and Kentucky graduate] Ashley Judd," he joked.

Dissing Horace Grant

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers couldn't resist getting in a dig on Horace Grant, who missed the game with an intestinal flu that kept him in bed Wednesday night. Grant played last season for the Lakers, but he left as a free agent to sign with the Magic for his final NBA season. Grant would have been guarding Shaquille O'Neal if he had played. Someone in the Lakers' locker room wrote a note on the chalkboard that normally is used for diagramming plays: ?Where's Horace?'' was written in big letters. Then in small letters: ?Shaq-arreha.'' Shaq is 7 feet 1 and an estimated 360 pounds.

Magic Coach Doc Rivers, after watching O'Neal have his way against the Magic around the basket, said he wished that Grant would have at least tried to play. ?You're always disappointed [when someone can't play]. If you're sick, you are sick,'' Rivers said. ?But at least show up and give it a go. It hurt us without him out there.''

Dr. Phil gives diagnosis

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers couldn't resist getting in a dig on Horace Grant, who missed the game with an intestinal flu that kept him in bed Wednesday night. Grant played last season for the Lakers, but he left as a free agent to sign with the Magic for his final NBA season. Grant would have been guarding Shaquille O'Neal if he had played. Someone in the Lakers' locker room wrote a note on the chalkboard that normally is used for diagramming plays: "Where's Horace?" was written in big letters. Then in small letters: "Shaq-arreha."

Taking on Shaq

Even if Grant would have played, Magic Coach Doc Rivers knew he would have major problems trying to defend Shaq, the most dominating big man in basketball history. The 7-1 O'Neal weighs an estimated 360 pounds, and has led the Lakers to back-to-back titles. "I liken him to a giant," Rivers said. "And everyone else is an ant. You could put a bigger or smaller ant on him. And it won't really matter."

Bryant: We're not bored

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant didn't exactly agree with the assessment of Rivers, who said the Lakers looked "bored" at times during their recent slump, but he didn't dispute it either. The two-time defending champions started the season with a 16-1 record, but they came into Wednesday night's game playing just .500 basketball in the previous 10 games. "After winning a couple titles, maybe we've tried skip a step, overlook a step, along the way this time," Bryant said. "But we're not bored. I love the game too much for that."

His first blocked shot didn't come until the game was 43 minutes old, but Shaquille O'Neal's effortless swat of an Orlando Magic shot late Wednesday night was still symbolic.

Again, it painfully reminded the Magic that while O'Neal might be gone, he can never be fully forgotten. And the massive 7-foot-1, 315-pound center showed once again that he will never pass up the opportunity to slap his former team back into its place.

O'Neal had an utterly dominant 30 points and 14 rebounds and his Los Angeles Lakers turned a close game into a stunning rout in the fourth quarter, defeating a deflated Magic team 111-93 before a TD Waterhouse Centre sellout crowd.

"We just waited until the end of the third (quarter), beginning of the fourth until we picked up our defense a little bit," said O'Neal, who made 13 of 19 shots. "In the first half they shot the lights out, but we knew we had a chance. We just started pounding it inside and Kobe (Bryant) lit it up. I hit a couple (post-up shots) and Kobe hit a couple and we really spread the wealth."

When his Magic's collapse was complete Wednesday night, it was hard to tell what was more upsetting to Orlando head coach Doc Rivers. First, there was the fact that Orlando wilted down the stretch and showed little fight when the Lakers made their decisive run. Rivers was also perturbed that veteran center Horace Grant missed the game with an intestinal virus, leaving the Magic with only 6-foot-8 Don Reid and 6-foot-10 Andrew DeClercq to battle O'Neal.

"Yeah, I'm disappointed (with Grant)," Rivers said. "He was sick and I'll never question that. But show up and at least give it a go. He's sick and there's nothing you can do about sick. But we could have used him."

Los Angeles (31-12) outscored Orlando (23-23) 36-16 in the fourth quarter to wipe out a two-point deficit. Pat Garrity (six 3-pointers) and Tracy McGrady each had 22 points for the Magic. Orlando shot just 40.5 percent from the floor and made just 11 of their 31 3-point tries.

"It's just heartbreaking to have the World Champions in here and lead them the whole game and not be able to finish," McGrady said. "We hung our heads when they took the lead. That's very disappointing and we've got to learn from that. We've got to stay in there and fight when a team makes a run back at us."

Bryant had 23 points, 12 coming in the decisive fourth quarter. He made just 9 of 23 shots, but did have eight rebounds and four assists.

O'Neal was booed during the pregame introductions and there was a smattering of mocking cheers each time he missed a shot, but the scene clearly has lost its luster now. O'Neal, who has averaged 31.5 points and 15 rebounds against the Magic, has won four of his five games back in Orlando. Overall, he's 9-1 in the 10 games he's played against the Magic. He admitted he was dismayed by the news that owner Rich DeVos was putting the Magic up for sale.

"Orlando is a great place to play and the fans have always been behind their team," O'Neal said. "It's always been a very loud place to play. I would hate to see them go. Hopefully it will work out in everybody's favor."

Without veteran center Patrick Ewing and Grant, had little chance of even slowing down O'Neal. DeClercq played O'Neal most of the third quarter, trying without much success to shove the 315-pounder off the low block. O'Neal, who threw a wild punch at Chicago's Brad Miller after a hard foul earlier this month, took particular exception to one hard foul by DeClercq. His thunderous dunk attempt ricocheted back up to the scoreboard and he muttered words in DeClercq's direction as he walked to the free throw line.

Orlando led by as many as nine early in the third period and again by seven late when McGrady dunked on Rick Fox and then buried a deep jumper over an outstretched O'Neal. As he walked to the huddle for a timeout, McGrady screamed to no one in particular, "My house, my house!"

But Orlando settled for far too many jump shots and allowed the Lakers to creep back into the game. Los Angeles was within two points by the end of the third period, and Bryant's jumper early in the final quarter gave the Lakers their first lead since 7-6.

Los Angeles' championship cool was clearly evident in the fourth quarter as the turned a deficit into a laugher. They scored the first 12 points of the fourth period and strung together a 17-2 run as the Magic fizzled. Orlando missed eight consecutive shots to start the period and 11 of its first 12.

Feeding off the emotion of the sellout crowd and the nationally televised audience, Orlando jumped to a stunning 22-11 start Wednesday. But the Lakers slowly chipped away at the lead by using O'Neal's brute strength, drawing within 51-47 at the break.

O'Neal's power was simply too much for Reid and DeClercq, and he was allowed to repeatedly back them down deep into the paint. O'Neal made eight of his first 11 shots -- most of them from point-blank range -- and had 19 first-half points.

But O'Neal's somewhat suspect supporting cast weren't nearly as effective. Bryant missed six of his nine shots early on and O'Neal's supporting cast shot just 10 of 30 in the first half.

Orlando shot the ball particularly well in the first half, hitting seven 3-pointers. Garrity made the Lakers pay time and again for sagging to shut off McGrady's drives, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 14 first-half points.

One of the most eventful sequences of the first half came late in the second quarter. Bryant tipped away a Magic pass and coasted in for what seemed to be an easy dunk. But Bryant's double-pump dunk hit off the back iron, much to the delight of the hostile crowd. Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong scooped up the loose ball and fed it to Garrity, who sank a deep 3-pointer.

It was fun while it lasted, but it just didn't last long enough.

When the well suddenly went dry ? all those jump shots stopped falling ? the Orlando Magic wilted like a red rose in a dry sauna.

The two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who waited patiently all evening, knew exactly what to do.

They blew the Magic right out of their own TD Waterhouse Centre, riding an early, fourth-quarter barrage to a 111-93 victory Wednesday night.

Shaquille O'Neal, still basketball's most dominating player, led everyone with 30 points and 14 rebounds, but he wasn't even playing when the Lakers put this one away.

After leading throughout the first three quarters, living on jump shots long and short, the Magic collapsed when the fourth period began.

They missed their first eight shots, and made one of their first 12 in that final period. They scored two points in the first 6 minutes, 20 seconds. A 77-75 lead when the fourth quarter began became a 93-79 deficit that sealed the outcome with more than five minutes remaining.

It was like the air left the building, like the camping trip ended prematurely, and the Magic folded up the tent.

?When the Lakers made their run, we had too many guys just hanging their heads," Magic Coach Doc Rivers said. "You knew the world champs were going to make their run, and when they did, we didn't respond. There was a stretch for five minutes Shaq was off the floor, and we didn't take the ball to the basket once."

Tracy McGrady had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic. Although he started the fourth quarter on the bench, he was rushed back into the game less than two minutes later, but he couldn't stop the fall. He hit a 3-pointer, but the outcome already had been decided.

?This was very disappointing," McGrady said. ?We got tired, and we hung our heads. We never responded when things got tough. I hope we learned something from this."

Pat Garrity had 22 points, hitting six of 13 from 3-point range, but he didn't score in the fourth when the Magic shot 29 percent from the field.

?We just got our butts kicked, that's it," said point guard Darrell Armstrong, who had 12 points and seven assists.

The Lakers outscored the Magic 52-22 from inside the lane. O'Neal kept the Lakers close throughout the game, but it was Kobe Bryant and everyone else who won it in the fourth.

Bryant finished with 23 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Rick Fox had 12 points. Devean George had 13 points.

The Lakers held a 51-39 rebound advantage.

The Lakers took the lead early in the fourth quarter ? the first time they led since the first two minutes ? when Bryant hit back-to-back baskets. The Magic never challenged again.

Since leaving the Magic as a free agent in 1996, O'Neal has averaged 31.5 points, 15 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots against them in 10 games. The Lakers have won nine.

The Magic were without starting center Horace Grant, who was home because of an intestinal virus. Don Reid, who didn't play against the Lakers on Nov. 11 in Los Angeles, got the start. He had six points and five rebounds.

The Magic led 51-47 at halftime, riding a hot-shooting start that included seven 3-pointers in 15 attempts.

O'Neal had 19 points and seven rebounds by halftime, but his supporting cast struggled early. The rest of the Lakers hit 10 of 30 shots in the first half.

Bryant missed an easy breakaway dunk, which typified the Lakers, except for O'Neal, early in the game. The next possession, though, O'Neal almost tore down the goal standard with a no-doubt dunk.

Tim Povtak of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Shaquille O'Neal never will return to the Orlando Magic as a player, but he will consider coming back.

An ownership role could be part of his future.

As a player, he is prohibited by NBA rules from also being part of any ownership group.

But when his 10-year, $209.5 million contract ends after the 2005-2006 season -- and he likely retires -- don't be surprised to see him emerge again with the Magic, depending upon who the next owner is.

"No comment. You know I can't comment on that [ownership] stuff now,'' he said Tuesday before the Lakers played the Hawks in Atlanta. "But I'd be really upset if the league lets that team move --really upset.''

Already burned two seasons in a row by Grant Hill's devastating ankle injury, the Orlando Magic are becoming increasingly concerned about the nagging back injury to standout guard Tracy McGrady.

McGrady missed two weeks of training camp and later three games of this season because of the recurring back spasms. And twice this past week, McGrady limped meekly to the sidelines after hard hits that had his back aching again.

Magic coach Doc Rivers had his playing career cut short by back injuries, and he still has to spend time with the team trainer because of persistent pain. That McGrady is a tender 22 years old and already experiencing back pain has Rivers tossing and turning at night.

"Back injuries just scare the hell out of me, and his is something we're going to have to deal with sooner or later," Rivers said. "Back injuries don't ever just go away. I've never seen one just go away forever."

Did you hear Pat Riley whining about the physical play in last week's loss to the Magic? How dare him say another team is playing too rough after the bump-and-grind style he has taught for years. Riley was personally responsible for setting the game back 10 years with his thuggish tactics of the early '90s.

Please forgive the Utah Jazz if they have not exactly caught Olympic fever. After Saturday's game, the Jazz will be forced to vacate Salt Lake City for the next 26 days. Their nine-game roadtrip is the longest in NBA history.

I'll take the second-string East All-Stars (McGrady, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) to beat the starters (Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Dikembe Mutombo, Antoine Walker and Vince Carter).

With the NBA shifting to ABC-TNT next season, NBC now has lost the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball. So where's the network heading? At halftime of the Super Bowl, NBC will shamelessly show Fear Factor with Playboy Playmates as the contestants. What's next, a return of the XFL?

First, it was the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Now, the Curse of the Bobble-head is sweeping through the NBA like the plague. Earlier this season, Lamar Odom was suspended for drug use the same night his bobble-headed likeness was handed out to Clippers fans. Dallas guard Michael Finley had never missed a game in the NBA until he popped a hamstring on -- you guessed it -- his bobble-head night. Dan Issel? The tirade at a fan that cost him his coaching job came as fans were jiggling his likeness. And just last week, Orlando's Mike Miller missed 10 of his first 12 shots on bobble-head night. The Magic also have made Patrick Ewing and Grant Hill bobble-head dolls. Both players now are on the injured list.

Talk about when you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you're not. Check out Latrell Sprewell's past five games: 32 vs. Philly, 0 vs. Charlotte, 35 vs. Toronto, 15 vs. Phoenix, 48 vs. Milwaukee.

TNT's Charles Barkley unplugged. On the Knicks' coaching change this season: "Jeff Van Gundy is going to get 'Coach of the Year' for bailing on them. He's got my vote."
On the NBA's new TV deal: "They got 4 billion dollars to televise these games next year, and some of these teams stink. David Stern is my new hero because that was the greatest shaft job since we stole everything from the Indians."

On his January 31 weigh-in on TNT, a.k.a. 'Charles vs. the Scale': "I haven't decided what type of underwear I'm going to wear, but it will be skimpy."

Washington Wizards coach Doug Collins admitted recently that he has not done a good job of coaching rookie Kwame Brown, who is averaging just 3 points a game this season. How does he know? Brown, the first pick last summer after jumping from high school, has the acne to prove it.
"That's always a sign of stress," Collins said. "I remember when I was 18 and things bothered me, stressed me out, my face broke out too. On draft night (Brown's) skin was so smooth and he wore that big smile. I expected too much of him and, in doing so, I demanded things of him he wasn't ready to do. I wish I'd made him feel more comfortable and relaxed. Now he seems to have retreated and lost that zest."

Speaking of Brown, if Jordan had traded the top pick in last summer's draft for Elton Brand -- the deal was on the table -- his Washington Wizards might be the favorites now to win the Eastern Conference.

Say what you will about Charles Oakley's thuggish play and declining skills. But he is second only to Barkley when it comes to consistently delivering some of the game's most refreshingly honest comments.
When some of his Chicago Bulls groused about the ovation Michael Jordan received in his return to Chicago, Oakley shot back. "I could have waited a half hour," Oakley said. "These guys (who complain) have never done anything."

As for the horri-Bulls, Oakley basically has thrown in the towel. "A trade isn't going to make a difference," he said. "It isn't like we're going to win six or seven in a row."

Headbands are not just for players seeking extra attention any more. They're also superstitions. After losing 12 of 14 games, the Detroit Pistons decided to don headbands and ultimately beat Charlotte. The next game, trailing Toronto at home at halftime, the Pistons took off their white headbands and put on blue ones. Remarkably, the Pistons still lost.

Denton's top 10: 1. Lakers; 2. Kings; 3. Mavericks; 4. Spurs; 5. Timberwolves; 6. Bucks; 7. Nets; 8. Raptors; 9. Celtics; 10. Sonics.John Denton writes for Florida Today. To ask John a question about the Magic or the NBA, you can e-mail him at jdenton@flatoday.net

The annual visit from Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers is still an event. But in recent years it has become a horror show for the Magic, who have suffered some of their most disappointing defeats at home against the Lakers. A sellout crowd and a national TNT audience will see whether they can reverse the trend tonight.

The Magic (23-22) may be catching the two-time defending champions at the right time. The Lakers are having their mid-season bout with boredom. Six losses in their last nine games have dropped them to fourth place in the Western Conference.

"Nothing is wrong with the Lakers," said Magic Coach Doc Rivers. "Their record this year is actually better than it was at this time last year. Teams that have won championships don't panic.

"They're not playing well, but that doesn't mean one game can't turn it around for them."

Rivers' concern is that this might be the game.

"Shaq never struggles against us," he said. "He enjoys playing against his real hometown team, so you know he'll play well again."

The Lakers have been the Magic's nemesis, dating back even before O'Neal's departure in 1996. Their 6 20 record against the Lakers is the Magic's worst against any NBA team. They are 2-8 since O'Neal left, although Shaq did not play in one of the victories and one of the losses. In his eight games against Orlando, O'Neal has averaged 30.9 points, 14.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks.

On March 21, 1999, the Magic had a 63-39 lead late in the first half and a 20-point lead well into the third quarter before the Lakers came back. The Lakers shot 77 percent in the second half, including 9-of-12 three-point shooting, to win going away, 115-104.

Then-Coach Chuck Daly made it worse by describing the Sunday afternoon game as a "coming-out party" for the 20-year-old Kobe Bryant, who scored 33 of his 38 points in the second half.

But it got even worse the following year.

After playing from behind almost all night, the Magic rallied to take an 88-86 lead on Darrell Armstrong's layup with 26.3 seconds left. A Glen Rice turnover gave the ball back to the Magic with 17.4 seconds left.

But O'Neal stole Ron Mercer's inbounds pass, went down and dunked, and the Lakers went on to win in overtime.

O'Neal referred to himself as "the Big Felon because of my stealing ability."

Funny stuff. But not to the Magic.

The Lakers' 95-90 victory on March 19, 2001 was a little less dramatic. O'Neal (33 points, 17 rebounds) was simply too much for the Magic's center committee of Andrew DeClercq, Mike Doleac, John Amaechi and Don Reid.

The Magic's center position does not appear to be in better hands than it was a year ago. It has been a problem ever since O'Neal left, and especially when he comes back to Orlando.