[0] LAKERS FOUL UP JAZZ; UTAH COLD AS WHISTLES OF REFEREES PERVADE.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

They could not lose, not on this night. Not on the 25th anniversary of their first Los Angeles championship. Not with Magic Johnson and James Worthy serving as courtside bookends, reminders of glories past.

Not with their season at stake.

Officially, a Game 3 defeat Thursday night would not have sent them home for the summer. No team in NBA history, however, has recovered from a 3-0 deficit, and the Lakers did not want a chance to be the first.

``This was a game we had to win, and now there's another game we have to win,'' coach Del Harris said after the Lakers took command late in the third quarter and raced to a 104-84 victory over Utah, before 17,505 at the Forum.

The victory cut Utah's Western Conference semifinal series lead to 2-1, but the Lakers' task remains arduous. They are one of only 12 teams in NBA history to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 2-0 - doing so in 1969 against San Francisco - and the Jazz isn't likely to play as poorly in Game 4 as it did Thursday night.

Future Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone were a combined 2 of 26 from the field. The Jazz shot 28.8 percent from the field and were outrebounded 47-37. Only Jeff Hornacek's 26 points and super shooting kept the Jazz close in a sloppy, one-sided game.

``We got beat every way you could get beat,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. ``They just came out an annihilated us.''

After the controversial no-call on Malone that ended Game 2, the officials were quick to impose their authority. They called 66 fouls, two flagrants on the Lakers, and disqualified Shaquille O'Neal midway through the fourth quarter and the Lakers leading by 25.

Referee Bill Oakes said O'Neal was tossed for ``two unsportsmanlike acts.''

After a basket, O'Neal appeared to make two ``it's good'' gestures with his fingers.

``I made a gesture. I made another gesture. I got thrown out,'' he said.

Added Harris: ``I've seen guys on the other team demonstrate more and not get thrown out.''

The ejection ended a frustrating evening for O'Neal, who was in foul trouble throughout and finished with 11 points in 18 minutes.

``There's a double-standard right now,'' he said, referring to the leniency given Malone. ``I thought I was an All-Star. I'm not going to anymore All-Star games until I get treated like an All-Star.

``It's unfair that some guys get to do and say certain things, and I can't say nothing.''

O'Neal picked a good game to struggle. Kobe Bryant scored 19 points. Elden Campbell had 14 and Byron Scott 10 in a well-balanced attack. The best Laker, though, was Nick Van Exel, the object of Malone's controversial no-foul at the close of Game 2.

Thursday night, Van Exel scored 17 points and made three consecutive baskets late in the third quarter that extended the Lakers' lead to 15.

``With the big guy sitting on the bench, I knew I had to be a little more aggressive and attack the basket, instead of settling for outside shots,'' he said.

The Lakers will not discuss the specifics of the Game 2 no-call for fear of a hefty fine. But it's clearly on their mind.

``We were upset, we were angry, but we knew we could beat them if we played together,'' Van Exel said.

And played hard. Back home and their season on the line, the Lakers were determined to establish the tempo with an unusually physical approach. They used their shoulders and forearms each time a Jazz player darted through the lane. When Utah pushed, the Lakers pushed back, harder. Their picks had extra muscle behind them.

``I think that softened them up by the fourth quarter,'' Van Exel said.

The whistles helped Utah stay within range. The Jazz made 2-of-22 shots in the first quarter and 6 of 44 in the first half. Malone finished 2 of 17, Stockton 0 of 6. But the Jazz made 22 free throws in the first half and trailed 49-36 at intermission.

``At halftime we talked about how we had to play at least as hard and as well as we did in the first half,'' Harris said. ``We had to assume they'd shoot better than 13 percent.''

O'Neal committed two fouls in the first quarter and his third with 7:39 left in the second. But Sean Rooks (six points, five rebounds) and Jerome Kersey (four points, three rebounds) provided support off the bench.

O'Neal got his fourth early in the third quarter when he charged into Greg Ostertag. But that was hardly the Lakers' biggest problem. They could not stop Hornacek, the slow, smart jump shooter who has made an NBA career of creating shots against bigger, quicker players. With Eddie Jones and Scott in his face, Hornacek drained eight consecutive jumpers and single-handedly sliced the Lakers lead from 16 to six.

``He made some incredible shots,'' Harris said.

Van Exel led the game-breaking rally with three-consecutive baskets late in the third quarter.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, 2 Boxes

Photo: (1--Color) Neither Magic Johnson, left, nor John Stockton, right, can believe the number of fouls called by refs Bill Oakes (21) and Dick Bavetta.

(2) The Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal, who was ejected in the fourth quarter, goes up for a layup and is fouled by Utah's Greg Ostertag.

Terri Thuente / Daily News

Box: (1--Color) LAKERS vs. UTAH

(2) LAKERS BOX