3 CHEERS FANS SHARE LAKERS' GLORY AT STAPLES.

Byline: Jason Kandel and Lisa Mascaro Staff Writers

A sold-out Staples Center erupted with joy as 18,955 fans celebrated the Los Angeles Lakers' third straight National Basketball Association championship Wednesday night.

Relegated to watching the game on big-screen television as the Lakers completed their four-game sweep of the Nets in New Jersey, fans shared in the excitement as three-peat mania swept the arena.

As the clock ticked down in the final climactic seconds of the game, fans stood, screaming and chanting, ``Three-peat,'' ``Kobe'' and ``Shaq,'' in praise of Lakers superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Everything else was drowned out by the cheers.

``It was beautiful. Three-peat. Kobe was out of control. Shaq dominated. We're going for four,'' said David Monje of San Pedro, leaving the arena with his wife, Gina; son, David; and daughter, Natalie, all in Lakers jerseys.

``It felt like the whole city of Los Angeles was in there with us,'' said Daljit Singh, 18, of Valley Village as he left Staples Center. ``This is a great day for L.A.''

Police allowed only those with tickets within blocks of Staples, to prevent a repeat of the mayhem that erupted downtown following the 2000 championship.

Within minutes of the game's end, a crowd outside turned over trash containers and set off firecrackers, but a massive police presence kept the situation in check.

Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Gary Brennan said there were some minor fires and some vandalism. Two people were arrested on suspicion of battery on police officers, but there were apparently no injuries and no major property damage.

Lakers fan Carlos Fabela of Paramount was with a group of people with hearing disabilities, some of them speaking in sign language.

``I'm very proud the police prevented the fans from going crazy. That's more protection for us. This year it's more protection from last year.''

Fans from all over the Southland will get the chance to join in the celebration Friday, when a victory parade in downtown Los Angeles is expected to draw a massive crowd.

Throughout the game, the Staples Center crowd stomped its feet, swirled its arms and let out deafening, jet-engine-like roars of approval.

The four 16-by-20-foot television monitors beamed 20,000 watts of pure Kobe, pure Shaq and pure basketball championship madness as the Nets kept the game close until the closing minutes.

Sitting in the front row of Staples Center and wearing a purple-and-gold wig, Merlene Asvega took it all in.

``I'll never get to sit this close to a Lakers basketball game inside the Staples Center for 10 bucks,'' said the 18-year-old Long Beach resident. ``The court looks smaller than it looks when you see it on TV - but it looks beautiful. It's a championship court.''

Asvega got the blessing of her boss to get off work early so she could take the Metro Rail Blue Line train from Long Beach to bask in Lakers glory.

``It's all for the Lakers,'' she said.

The Hurtado family came from Sylmar for the giant celebration.

Ruben Hurtado arrived in full team colors, wearing a Lakers wig and Lakers jersey.

``I have this 1988 championship banner that I tried to bring in here, but they wouldn't let me. It was too big,'' he said.

Ruben Jr., 13, wore a Rick Fox jersey. ``There's nothing I don't like about the Lakers. They're the best. I like their teamwork,'' the boy said.

Hurtado's wife, Elva, 42, a manager at Wal-Mart, said hers was a Lakers family.

``Through all my pregnancies, my husband was watching the Lakers games at the hospital,'' she said.

Lee Silitai, 16, of Long Beach chanted ``Lakers, Lakers, Lakers.''

He said he got his mother to write a letter excusing him from school early from Long Beach Jordan High School.

``I really wanted to be here. I got my tickets two weeks ago and stood in line for two hours,'' Silitai said.

Sitting nine rows up from the floor were Los Angeles residents Jauvan Russaw, 30, and Alicia Sorrels, 29, both wearing Superman visors and big foam fingers printed with the number 1.

``We love Shaq,'' Sorrels said.

``This is it,'' said Russaw, predicting at the outset that the Lakers would lead early and often throughout the game.

Austin Liao came with a group of college students from the University of California, Riverside.

``The Lakers put the past and the future together,'' said Liao, talking about what the team means to Southern California.

``It unites the city again,'' said Tammer Kilany of Long Beach.

Vidal Canizales, 14, of Norwalk said people like the fans who came to Staples Center can play a major role in supporting a championship team.

``We have to support them, because without the fans they don't do as well,'' Canizales said.

Ticket sold for $10 for adults and $6 for children for Game No. 4 at Staples.

Despite ``sold out'' signs, a handful of Lakers fans waited outside Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles early Wednesday in hopes of getting tickets to watch the away game on the arena's televisions.

As night fell and the game entered the fourth quarter, police outside the arena put on riot helmets, and security was tightened to prevent people from entering the area to celebrate or cause trouble.

Earlier Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, acting Police Chief Martin Pomeroy and Fire Chief William Bamattre held a press conference in front of the arena, urging fans to celebrate safely.

Two years ago, a crowd watching the TV outside Staples turned into a destructive mob when the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers at home for the city's first major sports championship in more than a decade.

This year, the NBA taped anti-violence public service announcements featuring Lakers stars Bryant, Derek Fisher and Fox for showing inside Staples Center during the game.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Ruben and Elva Hurtado of Sylmar, right, with Linda Rose Hurtado and Andy Butalia, left, cheer the Lakers while watching Game 4 at Staples Center.

(2) Rene Quiroz of Perris holds her 10-month-old, James, while watching the game Wednesday at Staples Center.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(3) Police officers deploy to keep Lakers fans in line as they exit Staples Center following the NBA championship victory.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

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