LOS ANGELES -- Shaquille O'Neal, in the moments before Thursday's Game 2 between the Lakers and the Blazers, addressed his teammates and offered this message: "Don't worry about me."

Just move the ball, Shaq told them, explaining it was his goal to do the little things to help the Lakers win, and the only time he wanted the ball was when he had a high-percentage shot.

Here's the big problem for the Blazers: Shaq can always get a high-percentage shot. Any place he wants on the court. At any time. And so on a night he planned on a laid-back kind of game, Shaq had 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 103-96 win that gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five first-round series.

Don't be fooled by the seven-point spread at game's end. Don't be swayed by the Blazers' trimming a 20-point fourth quarter deficit to six with 1:43 left. And don't believe it when the Blazers claim they can bring it back to L.A. for a Game 5. This series going beyond three games will be determined only by whether Shaq wants to get in some extra work prior to the next round.

Shaq's scored more points and grabbed more rebounds this season, but it would be hard to come across a game where he was more dominant than in Thursday's Game 2.

"He felt very good … spry," said Lakers' coach Phil Jackson. "It was one of those games he was operating at full throttle."

Every time the Blazers put together a run, Shaq had an answer. In the first quarter, a Dale Davis dunk that had the Blazers within 8-7 was followed by a Shaq offensive rebound and layup. In the second quarter, a Bonzi Wells layup that cut a 14-point deficit to single-digits was followed by an O'Neal dunk.

Twice in the third quarter, the Blazers were within reach of knocking leads to single-digits, and twice Shaq positioned his body in the lane ... and dunked.

By the 4:12 mark of the third quarter, Dale Davis had had enough. After hacking Shaq on a made lay-up, Davis reared back his right leg and kicked the basketball into the crowd. That was the second technical of the game for Davis, who, after his ejection, stripped off his jersey as he made a frustrated walk to the locker room.

The Blazers got back in the game by extending their defensive pressure (they scored 20 points off 14 Laker turnovers), that left little opportunity to double and triple Shaq in the post.

"We really can't stop Shaq," said Blazers guard Bonzi Wells, who struggled in his second straight game, finishing with 10 points and one rebound in 33 minutes before fouling out. "He's just dominant right now. Then you have the other guys who play off him."

Kobe Bryant played off Shaq to the tune of 19 points, although he struggled with his shooting (5-for-21 from the field). Derek Fisher had 18 points, and Rick Fox added 13.

Shaq hit 12 of his 20 shots in Game 2, and is shooting 22-of-37 (59 percent) in the series. All this is coming against a Portland team that held O'Neal to 48 percent shooting during the playoffs last season.

Last season, the Blazers had Arvydas Sabonis, a big body who could match O'Neal -- if not in talent, at least in bulk. This year, watching Shaq abuse Dale Davis and Rasheed Wallace -- neither of who are small men --- seems unfair.

After a regular season in which he never got into top shape and had been bothered by nagging injuries, Shaq appears to be peaking right now.

"When they try to double and triple me and bump me, they think they're wearing me out -- but they're playing right in my hands," said O'Neal, who was whacked in the head on a flagrant foul call against Ruben Patterson late in the game. "I was bred for that kind of contact."

Asked what it's like playing against a team that has no response for him, Shaq said, "I just do what I do."

Last night, Shaq did it in a dominant fashion. Not bad for a guy who had planned on having an easy night.

Jerry Bembry is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine