[0] VAN EXEL SCORES ON THE RUN : LAKERS 112, GOLDEN ST 109.

Byline: Marc Stein Daily News Staff Writer

NBA basketball at the pace most fans remember was resurrected Tuesday night in a non-NBA city.

To the Lakers' relief, and especially Nick Van Exel's, they remembered how to play it.

In the kind of run-and-gun game rarely seen anymore, the Lakers' speed and aim was just a shade better, netting them a 112-109 victory over Golden State Warriors in front of 18,742 at San Jose Arena.

And leading the running and gunning, in a surprise, was the struggling Van Exel, who disappointed the first sellout at the Warriors' temporary home - and the largest home crowd in franchise history - with 27 points and 12 assists.

Van Exel, who hadn't even hit a third of his shots in the first 10 games, made 11 of 16 from the field and set up the last three Lakers baskets with well-timed passes.

``I'll take it,'' Van Exel said. ``I was a little worried there, but I stuck with my game plan.''

Said Lakers coach Del Harris: ``Other than his shooting percentage, his play has been pretty good. His overall game's been good.''

Overall, this was probably Van Exel's best game, even better than his 29-point, 14-assist performance in Houston because, in that one, he needed 27 shots to get there.

Here, he just needed a little help and there was plenty available.

Shaquille O'Neal racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and even made sure the two free throws he did make out of eight tries - both in the fourth quarter - were clutch.

Eddie Jones overcame a three-point first half to finish with 18 and was mainly responsible for the defense that held Latrell Sprewell, game-high scorer with 33, to nine points after halftime.

And Jerome Kersey, facing the team that employed him last season, had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench as the Lakers shot 57.3 percent from the field and moved to 8-3.

Golden State, which rallied from a 92-85 deficit in the fourth quarter to take the Lakers to the wire, fell to 3-7.

``I sound a little bit like Lou Holtz, I guess,'' Harris said, ``but these guys are better than their record.''

Harris couldn't deny that the Warriors employ the league's most porous defense, and his Lakers responded with their biggest quarter of the season - a 38-point first that saw Van Exel score 13 to beat his per-game average of 10.8.

Of course, the Lakers didn't stop anyone, either, as the Warriors, who came in surrendering an NBA-worst 101.8 points, scored on eight of their first 10 possessions and wound up down by a mere five.

And they trailed only because Rumeal Robinson, the Lakers' 11th man, reeled off 10 points in the final 2:19 of the quarter on three 3-pointers and a high-arching 12-footer under pressure at the buzzer.

Before the outburst, Robinson had appeared in just three games, totaling six points in 18 minutes.

That kind of night.

The kind when only a higher power - technology - could slow things down.

Four times in the opening period, the game and shot clock malfunctioned, causing delays totaling roughly 15 minutes. More than anyone, that irked Van Exel, the 30.3-percent shooter who was in the midst of a 5-for-6 start, including three 3s.

When trainer Gary Vitti suggested that the interruptions could cool the Warriors, Van Exel replied: ``Maybe it'll chill me out. I don't need that.''

No worries, Nick. On this night, he was almost as hip as his coach, Harris, who revealed before the game that he was going to give O'Neal's just-released rap album a try.

``Will I listen to it? Yes,'' Harris said of ``You Can't Stop The Reign,'' which hit the streets a few hours ahead of tipoff. ``Will I continue to listen to it? Probably not.

``The key word is `probably.' I'll give it a shot. But (my new) tattoo is kind of my concession to the '90s. I don't think that getting to be a rap master is my next step.''

UTAH AT LAKERS

Time: 7:30 p.m., Forum.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West; KLAC-AM (570).

Lakers (8-3) update: An unblemished home record (4-0) and a streak of nine straight regular-season wins at the Forum dating to last season is on the line against the Jazz on Gail Goodrich Night.

Jazz (5-2) update: For the first time in memory, John Stockton's name does not top the list of assist leaders. Stockton isn't even second, rating just behind Nick Van Exel (8.9) at 8.7 per game.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, 2 Boxes

Photo: (1--color) Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Golden State's Felton Spencer battle for a rebound.

(2) Lakers' center Shaquille O'Neal dunks as Golden State's Felton Spencer looks on.

Associated Press

Box: (1) UTAH AT LAKERS (see text)

(2) LAKERS BOX