LAKERS NOTEBOOK: SHAQ'S SUCCESS AT LINE IS IFFY.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

ORLANDO - That Shaquille O'Neal is suddenly a 78 percent free-throw shooter is no fluke. It's also not guaranteed to last, if history is a guide.

In seven-plus seasons of often-foul foul shooting, O'Neal has had numerous mini-surges, like his current 32-for-41 stretch. But they never last, and the 59.2 percent he shot as a rookie for the Orlando Magic in 1992-93 stands as his best season. He's hovered between 48 and 55 percent since.

But this three-game hot streak could be different. It could be signs of a permanent change, as O'Neal himself has implied.

Consider a larger sampling: Over the last nine games, dating to Jan. 24, O'Neal has made 64 of 97 foul shots - 66 percent. And that matches the general time frame that coach Phil Jackson says O'Neal began developing a new approach, with help from assistant coach Tex Winter.

``He's got a step-by-step program he's going through that he's following. That's really one of the keys, is he's found one rhythm and he's found a routine,'' Jackson said, estimating O'Neal started three or four weeks ago. ``He's found that on his own, and Tex has worked with him, as far as encouraging him to continue with his rhythm and his technique. But he found a technique that worked for him, and that's the success.''

O'Neal won't say what he's doing differently, but he appears to be following the same routine at the line each time - in contrast to the past, where no two free throws looked alike. The shots still have little arc, but they're also going up softer.

``(I) really, honestly believe that a lot of it has to do with the fact that he's mentally approaching his shooting at the beginning of the game,'' Jackson said. ``He's always said he could make critical free throws. Now he's taking them critical from the very first one on. . . . So I think his attitude towards his free-throw shooting has just turned around and made the difference.''

It could spell doom for overmatched opponents, whose only option has been to foul O'Neal intentionally, an option that will backfire if O'Neal has indeed turned the corner.

``If he can do that, he's going to be unstoppable,'' said teammate Brian Shaw, who also played three seasons with O'Neal in Orlando. ``You have to foul him or he'll score 50 or 60 points on you.'''

--Fighting words: Magic coach Doc Rivers defended the honor of his host city after Jackson - in a light moment earlier this week - referred to Orlando as a ``plastic'' city. Jackson was commenting on whether free agents this summer would sign with the Magic or the Chicago Bulls, two teams that have cleared loads of salary cap room.

``That's just Phil being Phil,'' Rivers said. ``When you think about L.A., that's when you think about plastics, in a lot of ways. Who knows what Phil's motives are. He was in Chicago, and maybe he was trying to get some brownie points, because he left them for money.

``The difference between us and L.A. is that people live in L.A. because they have to work there. People come to Orlando as a choice.''

LAKERS vs. ORLANDO

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m., at TD Waterhouse Centre

TV/Radio: Channel 9 (tape delay, 6 p.m.); KLAC-AM (570)

Lakers (39-11) update: After opening with two victories, including a key win at Charlotte, the Lakers can entertain thoughts of a 6-0 road trip. Of the remaining four opponents, only Philadelphia has a winning record. But coach Phil Jackson isn't expecting a clean sweep. ``I don't think think this team's won in Philadelphia in the last three years, have they? . . . So we're not looking too far ahead at anything here.''

- Howard Beck

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Box: Lakers vs. Orlando (see text)