Pro basketball: O’Neal suspended for tonight’s game and fined $10,000 over incident, but is expected to return Friday.

Shaquille O’Neal, who missed the season opener because of a strained abdominal muscle, got clearance Monday to return to action, just in time to be suspended and fined for slapping Greg Ostertag of the Utah Jazz last Friday.

NBA officials suspended him for tonight’s game at Sacramento and fined him $10,000. The single-game suspension, however, will be worth $156,794 in lost salary.

League executives had debated possible penalties for much of the weekend before arriving at the ones most expected all along. His uncertain condition meant taking the Lakers’ word, specifically that of team physician Steve Lombardo, that O’Neal would have been able to play against the Kings. NBA brass interviewed Lombardo before handing down the penalty.

If the injury had kept O’Neal out tonight, he would have been suspended for Friday’s game against the New York Knicks.

Conspiracy theorists will say the Lakers sandbagged for this game, against a weaker opponent, to have their center back for the Knicks. League officials admitted being hamstrung but also said they were comfortable taking Lombardo’s word.

O’Neal and Ostertag, having traded barbs since the Jazz knocked the Lakers from the playoffs last season, met last Friday between the afternoon shoot-arounds at the Forum, where they were to play the opener that night. They apparently exchanged words, then O’Neal, already out for the game because of his injury, delivered an open-handed smack to Ostertag’s face, dropping the 7-foot-2, 280-pound Jazz center.

As far as anyone could recall, it was unprecedented for players to scuffle several hours before tipoff, but the league apparently proceeded as if the incident had happened during a game.

The Laker team captain was not available after practice Monday, having left early to get therapy on the stomach, but issued a statement through the club:

“I apologize to the Lakers’ organization, especially [owner] Jerry Buss and [Executive Vice President] Jerry West, my Laker teammates, and our fans, for the incident involving Greg Ostertag,” it said. “I also apologize to Greg. I hope he accepts my apology and that he and I can put behind us any bad feelings.

“I made a mistake. Instead of focusing upon what is best for the team, I got caught up in the drama of the season’s first game and reacted emotionally instead of logically.

“I acknowledge my responsibility to set a good example for young people and I admit that in this instance I did not do so. I ask those young people not to emulate my conduct here because there is no excuse to engage in any physical confrontation. I always tell kids to follow their dreams, but I should add that it is important to learn from your mistakes and prepare yourself so that they will not happen again.”

Said Rod Thorn, the NBA’s senior vice president for basketball operations, “I’m happy he apologized. But the bottom line is, we can’t condone actions like that, be it on the court during a game or during shootaround.”

The Lakers are 19-13 in games without O’Neal, and have beaten the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics in 1996-97 and the Jazz already this season while he was out.

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Shaquille O’Neal’s suspension is the latest in an NBA season that has begun with a flurry of disciplinary action. Other suspensions this season:

* ISAIAH RIDER: Portland guard suspended for the first two games of the season for off-court problems, including convictions for marijuana possession and carrying illegal cellular phones.

* ALLEN IVERSON: Philadelphia guard suspended for opening game after he pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying a concealed weapon during the off-season.

* SHAWN KEMP: Cleveland forward suspended without pay for one game and fined $2,500 for leaving the bench during a fight between Minnesota center Clifford Rozier and Cleveland center Vitaly Potapenko during an Oct. 12 preseason game. Rozier was fined $ 10,000 and suspended two games. Potapenko got a one-game suspension and $5,000 fine. Minnesota’s Doug West and the Clevelands’ Henry James also got $ 2,500 fines and one-game suspensions for leaving the bench.

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* PAGE TWO/RANDY HARVEY

On second thought, the Eddie Jones-for-Mitch Richmond trade with the Sacramento Kings makes sense for the leadership-challenged Lakers. C2

* LAKER REPORT: C7

* CLIPPER REPORT: C7