O’Neal Has Aid Aplenty in Handling the Hawks

Shaquille O’Neal proved his point--again.

Use single coverage against the Orlando Magic center and he’ll dominate a game. Double-team him and he’ll make an opponent pay too.

Just ask the Atlanta Hawks, who found a way to slow down O’Neal Friday night yet still lost, 120-94, to fall behind 2-0 in their second-round NBA playoff series.

“We played real good team basketball, but once we got the lead we kind of slacked off,” O’Neal said. “I think we can still play a whole lot better.”

O’Neal, who had 41 points in Game 1 when he usually was covered by one man, fought through the Hawks’ aggressive double teams to score 28 points.

Nick Anderson added 22 for the Magic, who led by 28 before Atlanta nearly cut its deficit in half while Orlando’s Anfernee Hardaway was on the bench because of a strained hamstring in his right leg.

Hardaway sat out the entire fourth quarter. His status for the third and fourth games of the series--at Atlanta on Sunday and Monday--was uncertain.

“If I can’t play, I’m going to sit it out. But I think I’ll be able to go,” the all-star point guard said, adding that his left hamstring has been bothering him since the opening game of Orlando’s first-round series against Detroit.

“From favoring that tonight, I pulled my right hamstring. I strained it a little bit. Both legs are hurting right now. I think I’ll be all right, though.”

The Magic have lost in six of their last seven games at the Omni.

Mookie Blaylock led the Hawks with 25 points and Christian Laettner had 20.

Hawks Coach Lenny Wilkens described his team as disappointed, but not demoralized.

“We wanted to get a split, so we’re unhappy about that,” Wilkens said. “But now we’re going back to Atlanta. We have been playing good at home lately, so we’re looking forward to it.”

NBA Notes

Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc injured his back during practice Friday and will sit out the next two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. Kukoc was injured on a jump-stop maneuver near the end of the workout in suburban Deerfield, Ill. . . . Chicago Bulls assistant Jim Cleamons was fined $2,500 by the NBA for initiating a verbal confrontation with Knick center Patrick Ewing during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. . . . Amid rumors of financial difficulties, the Toronto Raptors say they are almost ready to start building their $180 million, 22,500-seat Air Canada Centre, but that they still must complete details on financing the land, expected to “take a few more days,” said Jay Cross, who heads the management group.