Bad toes, bad fingers, bad ankles. The bottom line is, whether disabled or merely ailing, whether or not there's too much of him to go around these days, Shaquille O'Neal is one impossible dude to defend. And when he not only stands and delivers, but is the last 7-footer standing in the end, the Kings can't win.

They won the the right to whine, though.

For a second consecutive game in Staples Center, the Kings extended the Lakers for four quarters, withstood everything Shaq & Kobe tossed their way, only to be shot down this time not by Robert Horry's last-second three-pointer, but, at least partly, by a series of questionable calls that forced Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard to the bench with too much time remaining.

As if the Kings' centers don't earn enough legitimate fouls by grabbing, hacking, shoving, and in general, doing anything necessary to slow the massive O'Neal, what should have been a gripping, tug-of-war fourth quarter decided by another dramatic play, instead evolved into a free-throw shooting exhibition.

The series deserved better.

The players deserved better.

Disqualifying both of the Kings' centers on a couple of shaky fourth-quarter calls was, well, no way to win points with the viewing masses.

"They call the game one way for five games," said a still furious Divac, "and then they change everything. Tonight, we have no chance. Just let us play. We'll beat them. We won this game tonight. It's just not on paper. My sixth foul ... ridiculous."

Yep, definitely one of those bad-ref nights.

Yet while the Kings certainly have a number of legitimate complaints - and no doubt the league's officiating supervisor, Stu Jackson, has already been contacted - at least some of the blame belongs to Shaq. In a sense, he made them do it. He put the refs in a foul mood right from the start.

If Kobe thrilled the uncharacteristically aroused crowd with his usual assortment of spectacular jumpers, drives, free throws and dunks, including a Julius Ervingesque, right-to-left reverse layup attempt that faltered only because the ball slipped out of his hand, it was Shaq who dictated the tone with his aggressiveness at both ends. Not only did he grab 17 boards and block two shots, he muscled for deep post position, then turned on Divac and Pollard, or any other King who dared get in his way, and added two more.

"I'm not going to change my game," said Shaq. "A couple times I tried to be cute, tried to stay out of foul trouble. I'm just going to play aggressive and let them call it how they call it. But if they call it like they're supposed to call it, the outcome will be the same. You've got to foul me to stop me, period."

Indeed, this was Shaq at his nimble, overpowering best. Turnaround bank shots. Running one-handers. Half-hooks from the left and from the right. Enough dunks to keep the rims rattling most of the evening. And for someone who has been known to miss a few free throws, he didn't miss very many. He didn't miss much of anything, mainly, the opportunity to extend the series.

The Phil Jackson-era Lakers had never been in this predicament before, staring at a 3-2 deficit with a sixth game at home, but a seventh on the road. And for all their pregame chatter about living for challenges, Friday was about living for the moment. For one game. For a seventh game.

In the hours and days preceding Game 6, the once-seamless, seemingly invincible Lakers were sprouting seams. Shaq's injuries were crippling the team, the role players weren't producing consistently, and even Jackson was discovering that L.A. loves a winner, but only a winner. Lose a few elimination games and you're just another guy. Those were boos that descended on the home team in Games 3 and Game 4, and a restless murmuring during one protracted Kings rally again Friday night.

The Lakers hadn't done much talking the last few days, this series having turned a little somber prior to Friday night's pointed postgame comments by the Kings. But particularly during the deciding final minutes, the Lakers' two superstars proved superior to the Kings' tag-team approach. Or what was left of the Kings.

Now, the two-time defending champs can talk all they want.

They forced a seventh game, forced the refs to make the calls.

The Bee's Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.