[0] LAKE SHOW RETURNS; NO MICHAEL, NO KOBE NO PROBLEM FOR JACKSON : LAKERS 91, UTAH 84.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Like the frozen moment that defined his last official NBA game, Phil Jackson's coaching career was locked in freeze-frame until tipoff here Tuesday night, and when the shutter unclicked, it was clear just how much the scenery around him had changed.

Where he left on Michael Jordan's awe-inspiring, championship-clinching jump shot, Jackson returned on a botched pass from Glen Rice to Shaquille O'Neal - the opening sequence of the Lakers' season opener against the Utah Jazz. Same court, same opponent, all new challenges for Jackson, not the least of which is winning without Jordan. Or even his presumed heir, Kobe Bryant.

But Jackson's personal success on the Delta Center floor was extended another game anyway, as his Lakers pulled out a hard-fought, if entirely unaesthetic, 91-84 victory before 19,911.

There was little in Jackson's Laker debut to brag about. The triangle looked jagged-edged, the defense sagged at all the wrong moments, but a resurgent Rice (28 points) and clutch shooting from Derek Fisher (eight points in the fourth quarter) gave Jackson a 1-0 Lakers record.

``I'm pleased about the way we performed down the stretch. Both teams looked like they were kind of stumbling around out there. They weren't in condition yet to play this game,'' Jackson said. ``I thought the game was obviously one of those early ones you write off later in the season.''

Between stumbles, the Lakers proved to be ace 3-point shooters, hitting 8 of 13, four of them by Rice and Fisher in the decisive fourth quarter. Fisher's last 3-pointer was the Lakers' biggest shot of the night, if not his three-year career.

Successive baskets by Karl Malone and John Stockton cut the Lakers' lead to 84-82 with a minute to go. But Fisher, standing at the right corner, took a feed from Rice and nailed the 3-pointer to make it a five-point game.

Shaquille O'Neal, who finished with 23 points, missed two free throws that could have sealed the win, but when Utah's Pete Chilcutt clanked a wide-open 3-pointer, the Lakers had held on.

``The three years I've been here, I really hadn't been in those types of situations much,'' Fisher said of his game-turning shot. ``Especially to actually take the shot. That's the one thing I love about our coaching staff, is all five players on the floor in this offense are required to be potent offensive threats. . . . I definitely felt comfortable jumping up and taking that shot.''

So did Rice, which was a vast difference from a week ago, when he closed out the exhibition season with an 0-for-10 night against the Jazz.

``You guys would probably think I was lying,'' Rice told reporters, ``but I knew once the season started I'd be all right.''

No argument here. Rice found his stroke early with a few plays run his way, then kept the rhythm, finishing 8 of 13, 5 of 6 from the arc and a perfect 7 for 7 from the foul line. He added six rebounds and three assists.

``Their 3-point shots killed us out there,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.

So did a subpar performance from Malone. After missing most of the exhibition season because of back problems, Malone played like a man in pain, scoring just 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Early on, it looked like the Lakers would be the ones without their top weapon. Already woefully undermanned in the frontcourt, they got an early chill when O'Neal picked up his second and third fouls in rapid succession late in the first quarter.

But he avoided further whistles and was able to play a pivotal role in the fourth. Despite his missed foul shots, he scored six in the quarter and kept the Jazz defense honest, leaving Fisher and Rice open for the key shots.

``They doubled, and I looked for my teammates,'' O'Neal said. ``It's going to take a total team effort for us to get where we are trying to go.''

OPENING NIGHTS

Here's a look at how the Lakers have done in their season openers during the '90s:

Season Result

1999 Lakers 91, Utah 84

1999 Lakers 99, Houston 91

1997-98 Lakers 104, Utah 87

1996-97 Lakers 96, Phoenix 82

1995-96 Lakers 98, Denver 96

1994-95 Lakers 115, Detroit 98

1993-94 Lakers 116, Phoenix 108

1992-93 Lakers 114, Clippers 112 OT

1991-92 Houston 126, Lakers 121 2OT

1990-91 San Antonio 110, Lakers 99

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

PHOTO (1 -- color) Shaquille O'Neal (34) drives on Greg Ostertag in the first quarter of Tuesday night's opener.

Allen Weed/Associated Press

(2 -- color) New Lakers coach Phil Jackson couldn't have envisioned a better start as the Lakers' new coach: a victory over the Jazz in Utah.

Associated Press

(3) Utah's Karl Malone drives past Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and A.C. Green during the first quarter of Tuesday's opener

Allen Weed/Associated Press

BOX: (1) Opening nights (see text)

(2) Game recap