[0] LAKERS FEELING FOUL(ED).

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

The sign above Nick Van Exel's locker read: ``Nothing personal - just no comment.''

It spoke for one. It spoke for all.

``I ain't got nothing to say,'' Shaquille O'Neal said. ``You saw the (bleeping) game.''

``I don't want to talk about the game,'' Robert Horry said after a controversial no-call on Utah forward Karl Malone allowed the Jazz to escape with a 103-101 victory Tuesday night, before 19,911 at the Delta Center.

Even Lakers coach Del Harris refused the standard post-game interview.

``Nobody wants to get fined,'' Van Exel said, referring to the NBA policy of fining players and coaches who criticize officiating - a policy with which he is intimately familiar.

The Lakers had no comment. But at least they have a rallying cry - courtesy of Malone and referee Jack Nies, who did not blow his whistle.

The final sequence began when O'Neal missed an eight-footer from the right baseline with 14 seconds left and the score tied 101-101.

Jazz guard John Stockton then slashed through the Lakers defense and passed to Antoine Carr for a layup. The Lakers fouled him instead, and he made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left for a 103-101 lead.

``It was an easy two,'' he said.

The Lakers called timeout, then inbounded the ball to Van Exel 25 feet away. With Stockton in his face, Van Exel dribbled for a second, trying to create shooting space. Then Malone came over and slapped at the ball as Van Exel began his motion. It appeared Malone hit Van Exel's arm, and the Lakers went wild after the buzzer.

When asked about the no-call, Malone laughed: ``Yeah, it was a clean play. Considering what happened the whole night, it was a clean play.''

Several Lakers officials took the comment as an admission of guilt. But the bottom line is this: It's called homecourt advantage.

The Lakers had a chance to take the lead, failed, then let Stockton pierce their defense. To expect the officials to whistle Malone, a future Hall of Famer, in the playoffs, in his building, at the buzzer - well, that's asking a bit much.

In losing for the seventh-consecutive time here, the Lakers wasted 24 points from Byron Scott and a team-record-tying seven 3-pointers by Horry. O'Neal scored 25.

The victory gave Utah a 2-0 lead in this Western Conference semifinal series. Game 3 is Thursday at the Forum.

``Game 2 is always critical,'' Harris said before tipoff. ``If we get it, we put extra pressure on the other team. If we don't, there's no question whoever's up 2-0 has a big-time advantage. It's a big game. They know it. We know it. There's no sense ducking the issue.''

The Lakers showed no panic after their Game 1 defeat. They had prepared for it like a student cramming for an exam, absorbing as much material as possible in the post-Portland turnaround time. And it showed in the 93-77 loss.

``Game 1 is usually a feeling-out process, like in a boxing match,'' Scott said. ``They gave us a good shot, then we counterpunch.''

They did just that, challenging the Jazz for all loose balls, holding their own on the boards. Their stagnant, confused offense of Sunday afternoon gave way to a fluid, well-executed attack with Horry's marksmanship leading the way.

Utah opened the second half with five straight points and drew the third and fourth fouls on O'Neal. He departed with 10:31 left and the Jazz leading 64-55.

Then a curious thing happened. With their big man on the bench, the Lakers grabbed the momentum. Scott hit a jumper. Travis Knight converted a tip-in. Horry scored from 3-point land. And Elden Campbell, quiet in Game 1 and even quieter in the first half of Game 2, came alive. He made back-to-back jumpers, then two free throws, and the Jazz lead was down to 72-68. Scott's 3-pointer with 4:44 left in the quarter gave the Lakers a 73-72 lead.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: (color) The Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal puts up a shot over Jazz center Greg Foster during Utah's victory.

Associated Press