RIDER'S IN THE STORM GUARD IS LATE AGAIN; LAKERS WIN `REMATCH' LAKERS 124, INDIANA 107.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

They tried to stage an NBA Finals reunion at Staples Center on Tuesday, but the event was more noteworthy for who wasn't there than who was.

For Indiana, no Mark Jackson or Dale Davis or Rik Smits - key players when the Pacers lost the championship to the Lakers in June. Their stand-ins did no better than the original cast, and the Lakers - who incidentally still have Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant - rolled to a too- easy 124-107 victory.

But the Lakers had their own no-show to worry about. Isaiah Rider, who joined the team in August amid promises to mend his notoriously tardy ways, arrived an hour late and was benched until late in the third quarter. Players are required to be present 90 minutes before tipoff.

The incident is the third documented offense by Rider, and Jackson did not let it pass without notice. Rider played just four minutes and clearly was not into the game.

``It wasn't exactly punishment or reneging on him, but I just didn't think he was ready,'' Jackson said. ``And I didn't like the matchups in the first half anyway, the way the game was going. . . .

``He said he got bit by the traffic. I understand, but when you leave for a game, you leave for a game 2 1/2 hours before the game, so you're here in plenty of time,'' he said. ``We know that this is a problem. We know that being late is a problem for him. We want him to make some behavioral changes. And we'll see how it goes. This is just a trial pattern and we have our antenna up now and he's got to be prepared.''

Although he hasn't been called on it, Rider is frequently seen arriving 10 to 20 minutes past the 90-minute mark.

Rider was terse with reporters afterward, brushed off any concern, then had a heated exchange with general manager Mitch Kupchak in a locker-room hallway.

``I don't give a (bleep) how many championships he's won,'' Rider said to Kupchak, in a clear reference to Jackson.

When asked by reporters about his late arrival, Rider said: ``No excuse, you know. . . . Stuff happens. I was in traffic.''

Rider then implied that a double standard might exist concerning his tardiness. He said another player was late last week and went unpunished.

``I know one thing, the next man is late around here, that didn't happen, I won't appreciate that,'' he said. ``I'm not tripping, man. Life goes on, man, period.''

As for Jackson's account of when Rider arrived, he said: ``Whatever. Well, that's what he said. That's what it was then.''

Rider had little else to say on the matter, answering the next dozen questions with the same refrain: ``Life goes on.''

Not that the Lakers needed Rider to defeat what's left of the Pacers anyway.

Bryant scored 37 points and O'Neal added 27 points in just 33 minutes of work as the Lakers (11-4) posted a season-high in points and extended their winning streak to five. Indiana fell to 6-7 under rookie coach Isiah Thomas.

Ron Harper scored a season-high 21 points, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and five assists.

The Pacers got 18 points from Austin Croshere and 15 apiece from Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose, but those finals veterans - surrounded by unproven youngsters - struggled to defend against the Lakers.

So while technically a rematch of the finals, the game bore little resemblance to that spectacular series. Of course, for reminders, all anyone needed to do was look at O'Neal's stats - 23 points by halftime - or the bright new banner hanging high above the court.

``I think it's more of a thing for (the Pacers) than it is for us,'' Bryant said of the rematch.

After weeks of letting his teammates do the scoring, O'Neal was just pleased to get back to the Lakers Way: Dump it in, let Shaq get to work. O'Neal dominated and the collapsing defense gave the Lakers room to hit a season-high 15 of 27 3-point attempts.

``We came out and established the inside-outside game like we should do every (bleeping) night,'' O'Neal said. ``Once they start doubling, then I started kicking out, and guys were hitting shots, playing well.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- color) Shaquille O'Neal goes hard to the basket in the first quarter Tuesday night against Indiana.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(2) Kobe Bryant steals a pass intended for Indiana's Jalen Rose in the second quarter of Tuesday's game at Staples Center.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Box: GAME RECAP