[0] SHAQ SHINES VS. OLD TEAM : LAKERS 91, ORLANDO 81.

Byline: Marc Stein Daily News Staff Writer

Shaquille O'Neal had the numbers. Supplied the knockout, too.

Round 1 of the bi-coastal rivalry pitting O'Neal's new team against his first team went to the Lakers on Friday night, when the Orlando Magic - already without most of its offensive punch - couldn't defend O'Neal, either.

The highlight of Shaq's 25-point, 18-rebound, seven-block attack was a haymaker dunk midway through the fourth quarter that ensured a 92-81 triumph for the Lakers before a Forum sellout of 17,505.

It was his lone basket of the final period - a punishing wind-up and finish on the break to make it 77-65 with 5:38 to play - and was the only time all evening that the $120 million man stirred a sedate crowd into a frenzy.

``I wanted to get one more,'' said O'Neal, who shook off early jitters after receiving a halftime scolding via telephone from his father, Philip Harrison, who was watching from Orlando.

``But like I've been saying, this one game wasn't going to make or break my season.''

Lakers coach Del Harris expressed beforehand that ``the game doesn't really mean that much to anyone but Shaq,'' and by night's end even O'Neal wasn't overly awed by the moment.

With the other principals - Orlando's Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson - all watching from the bench in street clothes, too hurt to play, O'Neal had it too easy.

He accounted for nearly half of L.A.'s season-high 16 blocked shots and made a career-high five steals as the Lakers, who also got 20 points and 11 assists from Nick Van Exel, improved to 14-7.

Gerald Wilkins led the 8-7 losers with 21 points, with Rony Seikaly - the center Orlando enlisted to help fill its Shaq-sized void up front - adding 16 points and 10 boards.

``I would much rather see him in Orlando pinstripes than Laker purple and gold, but I thought we did a good job on Shaq,'' said Orlando coach Brian Hill. ``He got 25 points, but that's average for him. Van Exel is the guy who really hurt us.''

Said Hardaway, activated Thursday but not ready to test his surgically repaired left knee: ``Yeah, I wish I was playing in this game, probably more so than any regular-season game I've played in my life. I'd love to be out there against Shaq. It would be a real war, but we're not at full power.''

Be it the usual Friday traffic or just traditional L.A. apathy, the stands weren't close to full as tipoff approached. No surprise, then, that the emotion was also missing.

Aside from brief booing when the Magic emerged for warmups and some noticeable displeasure when the Lakers' first-half deficit reached 38-27, the atmosphere for Orlando's lone visit of the season was ordinary.

So was the Lakers' play.

For starters, the Lakers missed 20 of their first 26 shots. And in the middle, O'Neal had as many fouls as points in the opening quarter - two - while Seikaly scored a quick 12 with five rebounds.

Shaq gradually settled in, though, with his free throws falling (5 of 6 in the first half) if nothing else. His ?5jump hook with 42 seconds left before the break capped a 13-2 run that pulled the Lakers into a 40-40 tie.

Midway through the third quarter, the comeback came together. Seikaly drew his fourth foul just 3:28 into the half, leaving journeyman Danny Schayes to guard O'Neal. And Schayes couldn't; Shaq totaled 10 points and seven rebounds during the charge that took the Lakers' lead to 65-54.

Of course, it won't be until much later - a year or two, that is, long after the March 23 rematch in Orlando - before it can be determined whether O'Neal was wise to come west, whether his new team is better than the Magic would have been with Shaq.

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Photo: (color) Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal backs in on Magic center Ron Seikaly and Horace Grant.

Tina Gerson / Daily News