Shaq reaches out to Jackson

Phil Jackson stood in a dim hallway amid a semi-circle of reporters, talking about how difficult it is to box out Shaquille O’Neal, when the topic of discussion emerged from a nearby practice court, pushed his way through the media pack and gave Jackson a sweaty embrace.

O’Neal whispered in Jackson’s ear for a few seconds before walking away and saying, “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Jackson smiled briefly, a hint of catharsis in what had been an odd week of revisiting the O’Neal-Jackson-Kobe Bryant triangle leading up to Thursday’s game between the Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

O’Neal asserted last week in a Sacramento Bee story that the tension between Bryant and O’Neal earlier this decade was “all designed by Phil, because if you think about it, Phil never called us into the office and said, ‘Both of you all, shut . . . up.’ ”

O’Neal distanced himself from the comments Wednesday, telling reporters that, “We won championships, and it would be idiotic of me to say something bad about him now.”

(From time to time, however, O’Neal has criticized Jackson, calling him “Benedict Arnold” after Jackson returned to coach the Lakers, and Bryant, in 2005.)

A few seconds after the embrace from O’Neal, Jackson said he wanted to believe his former center.

“I had no doubt that [article] was something out of context, or whatever,” Jackson said. “We had a great time. We had a great run for four years, five years.”

Then Jackson took off his glasses and mopped his brow to make sure there wasn’t any of O’Neal’s sweat still on his forehead. He was smiling.

East isn’t least

The Lakers’ loss to Detroit last Friday is part of a surprising start for the Eastern Conference in head-to-head games against West teams.

The East is 31-21 against the West.

“I think it’s just because they play a different style of basketball,” center Andrew Bynum said. “You’re used to high-paced basketball, and they slow it up.

“There’s at least eight really good teams in the West. I don’t really think the East has that many, but, again, they play that different style and it slows you up when you’re not really used to it.”

The Lakers are 1-1 against East teams after beating the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Etc.

Sun Yue and DJ Mbenga were on the inactive list for a 10th consecutive game. Sun might be sent down to the Lakers’ Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders, who begin their season next Friday. . . . Fans who bring a children’s book to Sunday’s game against Sacramento will receive a commemorative Lakers pin as part of a Lakers’ book drive. All books will be donated in Chick Hearn’s memory to local Lakers’ reading and learning centers.

--

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com