EQUAL PARTS AWE, FLAW FOR L.A. LAKERS' PLAY NEARS PERFECTION UNTIL NEAR-MELTDOWN VS. CELTICS LAKERS 100, BOSTON 96.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

BOSTON - In a season-long search to find themselves, or perhaps to just get in touch with the inner child that gleefully skipped off with the championship last year, the Lakers have at long last discovered their identity, and it looks familiar: Equally gifted and flawed, capable of artistic play and blemished with imperfections that make every minute a mystery.

So it was in Game 77 of this marathon season, as the Lakers played three quarters of near-perfect basketball, their offense clicking with a precision that has surfaced only occasionally, their defense creating opportunities at every turn and a 26-point lead.

It looked a lot like championship basketball. And it all nearly came undone in one frantic, sloppy fourth quarter.

But in perhaps an even better measure of their playoff readiness, the Lakers withstood a furious Boston Celtics rally and made all the key plays down the stretch Friday to preserve a 100-96 victory at the FleetCenter and push them to 3-0 on this four-game road trip.

This was another night of Shaquille O'Neal domination - 39 points and 14 rebounds worth - but moreso a display of a nicely balanced offense. Four other players scored in double figures, and the Lakers' first 23 field goals came with 18 assists attached.

``Tonight definitely felt different than we've felt in awhile, and that's a nice thing to feel, because you know you're capable of doing it,'' Rick Fox said. ``It's unselfish basketball. We got the lead simply because of that.''

Fox, playing against the team that renounced his rights four years ago, was a major force in the win, contributing 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Brian Shaw was one assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant and his sore ankle were sidelined for the eighth time in the past nine games.

``I'd have to say that the game we played tonight, I don't think we've done that consistently in what, maybe five, six games this year,'' Fox said. ``It's the type of basketball that will give us some sort of a chance in the playoffs.''

The Celtics (34-42) are scrapping to earn a playoff berth in the East but certainly showed the firepower and the tenacity of a winning team. Paul Pierce scored 17 points in the fourth-quarter comeback and overcame a horrible start to finish with 30. Antoine Walker scored eight in the fourth quarter to finish with 21.

That one-two punch, plus Walter McCarty's hot 3-point shooting, turned a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit into a one-point game by the final minute of play.

``They hit a lot of shots out of their a--,'' O'Neal said. ``They had nothing to lose.''

With 32.9 seconds to play, the Lakers clung to a 97-96 edge.

Under a Celtics full-court press that produced 10 turnovers in the final quarter, the Lakers struggled to set up their offense. With the shot clock winding down, Fox zipped the ball to Horace Grant along the right baseline, and with Pierce defending hit a 16-foot turnaround jumper over Pierce that saved the game.

``That was a prayer,'' Brian Shaw said of the shot. ``That's why Horace keeps his Bible with him all the time.''

In his successful runs with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, Grant was seldom the one to take the game-winning shot.

``I've seen him in that situation in the championship - throw it back out to (John) Paxson and let him take the shot,'' Shaw quipped, referring to Grant's Chicago days.

``I fumbled a little bit, but I just threw it up, to be honest,'' Grant admitted sheepishly.

Trailing 99-96 with eight seconds left, the Celtics got the ball to Pierce, but Derek Fisher swiped the ball to seal the victory.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Shaquille O'Neal was big for the Lakers, scoring 39 points Friday.

Gretchen Ertl/Associated Press

(2) Boston's Randy Brown is taken off the court on a stretcher Friday after injuring his right hip in the third quarter.

Erik Sumption/Associated Press

Box: LAKERS 100, CELTICS 96