Watch Out for Branches of ‘Old Oak’

Shaquille O’Neal, upset after several games of what he perceives as a lack of support from referees, has again drawn a line in the sand, insisting he will now take matters into his own hands. Or arms.

“From now on,” the Laker center said, “my elbows are going to be up, and whoever gets hit gets hit.”

The comments come about a week and a half after Coach Del Harris spoke out on O’Neal’s behalf on the topic, noting, “I think he is taking a sure beating” and “I think some referees come in with the idea that, ‘We’re going to make the big guy earn it.’ ” This has been a regular source of frustration for the all-star center, who still figures to be among the league leaders in free-throw attempts, but it flared anew at the end of the just-completed trip as he became upset at the post defense and double-teams used by the smaller New York Knicks and Washington Wizards.

“I felt like the old oak tree outside of the schoolyard,” O’Neal said. “Everybody jumping on me.

“If they don’t want to get ‘em off me, I’ll get ‘em off myself. . . . If somebody gets hit and broken up, I don’t care.”

TONIGHT

vs. Indiana

* 7:30

* Fox Sports

West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 39-18, Pacers 41-17.

Record vs. Pacers--1-0.

Update--The Lakers play at the Forum for the first time since Feb. 19, on the heels of a 3-3 trip that included a 96-89 victory over Indiana. They’re home for a week, which is not to be confused with the chance to recover--the four opponents coming in had a combined 140-90 record (.609) at the start of play Tuesday. The four points by Kobe Bryant on Monday at Washington tied his season low--Nov. 4 at Sacramento and Nov. 7 against the Knicks. Also, the 12 minutes against the Wizards marked his briefest appearance since the regular-season finale of 1996-97.