THEY'RE GETTING SWAGGER BACK.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

And they're off ...

The second half of the NBA season officially got under way for the Lakers Tuesday night, and come on, don't you just think they're looking like their ol' incredible, unbelievable, invincible selves?

Shaquille O'Neal has actually been seen leaping, I said leaping, for a rebound. The guys on the bench have remembered how to hit a jumper. Devean George has started to actually resemble a guy worth $4.6 million per season. Kobe Bryant is playing like the league MVP.

Whoa, check that. Lakers part-owner Magic Johnson just went on a national cable show and announced that Orlando's Tracy McGrady is the best overall player in the league.

Absolutely nothing is allowed to come easy this season for the Lakers, not even compliments.

The Lakers went into the All-Star break riding a five-game winning streak and having won 11 of their past 14 games, pushing their overall record to an entire game over .500.

That's not just Houston, it's an entire league hearing foot steps. Size 22s can cause such a rumble.

Can they keep it up? Can they really return to becoming the most feared team in the NBA?

They went back at it Tuesday at the Staples Center, the crummy Denver Nuggets served up like the night's offering. These are the same Nuggets who had lost 17 of their last 18 road games and have exactly one player who could start for the Lakers.

The game begins, and immediately there's is good news: Shaq in in the building!

This would be unlike Monday when he failed to show up for practice.

``I wish he would have called me,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``Then I could have excused him for practice if he really had a good reason.''

Shaq does that one-eyebrow-raised thing in response.

``I don't have to call, brother,'' Shaq said. ``I'm Colin Powell.''

Apparently sans a George W. Bush.

The game begins and in mere moments, Shaq is turning to an official and saying, ``He's holding me, dog.''

You know this is 2003 when a player can call an official ``dog'' and not get rung up, but Derek Fisher applauds an official and gets a technical. Of course, Fisher had just been called for a third foul at the time.

Shaq is looking comfortable, has that smirk thing going. The Lakers break out to a 32-22 lead at the end of the first quarter and are again looking like the team that has won three consecutive NBA titles.

Wait, hold that thought. Magic just went on TV and announced the Sacramento Kings are the team to beat in the NBA. It gets so confusing.

Kobe is looking like he's finally recovered from Mariah Carey's half-time performance at the All-Star Game and is pouring in the points. Rick Fox looks like he cares about more than selling Fords. Robert Horry has actually stopped limping and, in an incredible turnaround, now seems to have reversed the aging process.

The Lakers are cool, they're confident, they're playing the Denver Nuggets.

Shaq has a slam, and does that hanging-on-the-rim, shake-it-until-the- building-rocks, I'm-the-man thing.

The news comes in from Houston that the Jazz just defeated the Rockets in overtime. A victory for the Lakers and they've tied the Rockets in the loss column for the final playoff spot in the West. Listen up, this is real progress.

Soon the Lakers turn the Nuggets into so much gold dust. Kobe gets loose on a breakaway, dribbles behind his back, does a 360 under the rim and slams the ball with power. Shaq slams it in, Kobe scores on another break, the Lakers lead 100-66 after the third period and look like the greatest team in the history of Western civilization. In any sport.

No, I stand corrected, Magic just said in a TV interview that the 1911 Italian boccie ball team is absolutely untouchable.

For the Lakers, it's the beginning of the Great Second Half Drive. Can they pull it off? You can't tell diddly by beating up on the 12-38 Nuggets, but the quest is officially under way.

The Lakers are happy, they're winning, they're off ...