Orlando, O’Neal Prove Point

Shaquille O’Neal proved his point - again.

Single-cover 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 in Game 2 to score 28 points.

Orlando’s Penny Hardaway, who had a tender left hamstring before Friday night, sat out the entire fourth quarter with a strained right hamstring. His status for the third and fourth games of the series in 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 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.”

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

Magic 120, Hawks 94

Atlanta (94) - Augmon 1-4 0-0 2, Long 2-9 0-0 5, Laettner 8-12 3-3 20, Smith 6-14 5-6 18, Blaylock 8-14 3-4 25, Ehlo 0-3 2-2 2, Henderson 2-7 4-5 8, Rooks 2-4 4-4 8, Jordan 1-2 1-2 3, Bullard 1-4 0-0 3, Boyce 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 31-75 22-26 94.

Orlando (120) - Scott 7-12 0-0 17, Grant 7-13 0-0 14, O’Neal 11-15 6-8 28, Anderson 6-11 8-8 22, Hardaway 5-13 4-4 15, Koncak 0-1 0-0 0, Shaw 3-6 0-0 8, Wolf 2-5 0-0 4, Bowie 1-3 0-0 2, Royal 1-2 3-4 5, Bonner 1-2 1-2 3, Thompson 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 45-85 22-26 120.

Atlanta 19 27 20 28 - 94 Orlando 36 31 22 31 - 120

3-Point goals-Atlanta 10-27 (Blaylock 6-10, Long 1-3, Laettner 1-3, Bullard 1-3, Smith 1-4, Ehlo 0-2, Boyce 0-2), Orlando 8-17 (Scott 3-6, Shaw 2-3, Anderson 2-4, Hardaway 1-3, Thompson 0-1). Fouled out-Laettner. Rebounds- Atlanta 39 (Laettner 6), Orlando 53 (Grant 11). Assists- Atlanta 18 (Smith 5), Orlando 30 (Hardaway 7). Total fouls- Atlanta 22, Orlando 20. A-17,248 (17,248).