LAKERS FIND THEIR CENTER O'NEAL DEBUTS, L.A. WINS LAKERS 86, CHICAGO 73.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Every bell and whistle available within a three-block downtown radius was dedicated to one man Friday night. Red carpets outside Staples Center, thousands of ``Shaq's Back'' placards inside.

But no one welcomes back Shaquille O'Neal quite like Shaq himself.

So the loudest, most enduring ``nice to see you'' moment came from straight from O'Neal's playbook.

Rick Fox tossed a lob from the left corner, and O'Neal, fading away from the basket, jumped up and, in one fluid motion, threw down a powerful right-handed dunk. And just like that, the Lakers' shaky season took on a sense of normalcy for the first time.

O'Neal's dunk midway through the fourth quarter gave the Lakers a 10-point lead, and 18,977 thrilled fans something to remember. The building erupted, the Chicago Bulls wilted, and the Lakers cruised to an 86-73 victory.

O'Neal, who entered the game to a standing ovation late in the first quarter, left to a standing ovation with 3:14 left to play, the Lakers leading by 15 points.

He finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes.

And the Lakers, who slipped into last place in the Pacific Division two days earlier, climbed out of the cellar on O'Neal's back.

Kobe Bryant, who had carried so much of the burden in O'Neal's 12-game absence, enjoyed a more even game. He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The medical staff advised O'Neal be held to 24 minutes or less, although coach Phil Jackson's discipline figured to be strained if the Lakers fell behind early.

But the Lakers held a steady lead and took a 69-58 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Bryant scored 16 points in the third quarter and finished with a flourish - a tomahawk dunk on the fast break, followed by a 3-pointer. O'Neal's night appeared to be over.

But the Bulls scored seven consecutive points to open the fourth, cutting the lead to 69-65 and forcing Jackson to send O'Neal back on the court.

``It's not a panacea to have him back,'' Jackson said. ``We still have to get back into the spirit of playing as a team and putting more and more into our game, and more intensity on the floor when we play.''

Ninety minutes before tipoff, surrounded by reporters in search of Shaq news, Jackson glanced at his watch and noted, ``I think he's late. Really, it's time for him to show up.''

The same could of course be said of O'Neal's return to the active roster. The Lakers, who so often faltered in his absence, immediately perked up with him on the bench in full uniform.

O'Neal began the night on the bench, waiting for Jackson to call his name while the crowd got increasingly restless. The ``We want Shaq'' chants began in Section 113 before four minutes had elapsed.

He finally entered the game with 5:43 left in the first quarter and had his first rebound a minute later. O'Neal's first basket of the season came on a short turnaround jumper over Donyell Marshall with 3:50 left in the quarter.

O'Neal went to the bench to start the second period, having scored five points in five minutes.

Not that O'Neal's return fixed everything. Laker misplays led to 23 turnovers, and the defense was shaky early on.

If only O'Neal could have guarded teammate Slava Medvedenko, who inexplicably launched a career-high 17 shots in 17 minutes. He made only five, finishing with 12 points.

The excitement generated by O'Neal's return quickly should dispel any anxiety created by a 3-9 start. But the losing rut wasn't as bad as it looked: nine of the first 12 opponents had a record of .500 or better (as of Friday). And of the nine losses, only one came against a team with a losing record - Cleveland, on Nov. 5.

SHAQ BACK

Shaquille O'Neal played in his first game this season. Here's how he did:

MIN - FG-ATT - PTS - REB

21 - 8-13 - 17 - 7

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Shaquille O'Neal made sure everyone knew he was back Friday night, scoring 17 points in 21 minutes in his season debut.

(2) The Lakers' Robert Horry (5) battles for a rebound against Chicago's Lonny Baxter on Friday.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) SHAQ BACK (see text)

(2) GAME RECAP