Shaquille O'Neal has a suggestion for NBA commissioner David Stern — hire better officials. O'Neal ripped the officials after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 84-83 on Sunday.

Los Angeles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal (L) argues a call beside Toronto Raptors' Vince Carter during a stop in fourth quarter play in Toronto on February 1, 2004. [Reuters]

"My message to David Stern is get some people in there that understand the game and don't try to take over the game because people pay good money to see good athletes play," O'Neal said after scoring 36 points. "Let us play, don't be trying to take over the game."

O'Neal was so frustrated with the officiating that he twice used profanities on live television in a postgame interview. When informed he was on live, O'Neal replied with a vulgarity.

He later sympathized with Vince Carter, who had a chance to win the game in the final seconds but did not get a foul call. Rick Fox and Gary Payton converged on Carter as he drove to the basket. Carter threw up the ball, thinking he had been fouled but official Luis Grillo did not call one.

Payton then ran out the clock.

"I thought the last five times I shot the ball was a foul too," O'Neal said. "He got fouled, I got fouled, and they didn't call it."

O'Neal said official Scott Foster has it in for him.

"Don't be calling bull because you don't like a guy," O'Neal said. "That guy has a clear understanding over the years that he don't like me. If you don't like a person, you can't do your job with them."

O'Neal went 13-for-20 from the field and 10-for-15 from the free-throw line.

Carter called the non-call "unreal" but would not say more.

Toronto coach Kevin O'Neill didn't want to talk about it either, but said it was a tough game to officiate.

"You have two guys, Vince and Shaq, that both think they should be fouled every time or called every time," O'Neill said.

Payton added 14 points for the Lakers, who are in the midst of playing seven road games in 11 days — their longest road trip since 1991-92.

Los Angeles, which won't return home until after the All-Star break, is without injured stars Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone. Bryant was placed on the injured list Friday because of a severe cut on his right index finger that will keep him out of action for at least a week.

Malone is most likely out until mid-March with a sprained knee.

Carter had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Donyell Marshall had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Bosh added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Raptors, who are three games below .500 for the first time this season.

Carter had 15 points in the second half to help Toronto cut a 16-point lead to three.

Jalen Rose cut it to two with a free throw after Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson received a technical foul for arguing that Bosh committed goaltending instead of blocking a shot.

But Payton followed with two free throws, giving the Lakers an 84-80 lead with 1:37 left.

After Carter's 3-pointer over O'Neal cut the lead to one with 48 seconds left, O'Neal passed out of a double team to Kareem Rush, who missed an open 3-pointer, giving Toronto the ball with 29 seconds left.

Fox and Payton then converged on Carter in the waning seconds.

"He tried to make it look like a foul, but it was all ball," Payton said.

Carter and O'Neal received technical fouls earlier in the game for arguing with the officials.

Notes:@ O'Neill said he would rather play the Lakers with Bryant in the lineup. "That's no knock on Kobe whatsoever. I just think they are probably more focused on getting the ball inside with him out, and if they are, that's a problem for us," O'Neill said of his undersized club. ... The Raptors have only beaten the Lakers once at home.

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