Nothing Average About O’Neal’s Play

While his teammates have swooned and sagged, Shaquille O’Neal has increased the level of his performance statistically and emotionally--although he concedes it doesn’t mean anything unless the Lakers snap out of the current 10-10 funk.

In the Lakers’ five games before Monday’s game against Vancouver, O’Neal averaged 29.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, made 60.6% of his field-goal tries--and moved ahead of Allen Iverson as the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 26.5 points before Monday.

The Lakers are 2-3 in those games, including losses in the last three.

“If I’m down or when people are down around me, I just know to come out swinging,” O’Neal said. “I don’t know how to run and hide. . ..

“I come to play every night, [though] my stomach’s hurting me. We’ve all just got to have the same mentality.”

Are his teammates joining him in that attitude?

“Sometimes they are,” O’Neal said. “But they aren’t with me all the time. But we win as a team, we lose as a team.”

O’Neal said he didn’t even know that he was leading the scoring race--he won the scoring title in 1994-’95, averaging 29.3 points.

“Whoever gets it, gets it--I don’t care,” O’Neal said. “That means nothing to me.”

How about winning the most valuable player award?

“That doesn’t mean anything to me, either,” O’Neal said. “Just winning. Right now, my team ain’t winning. So nothing else matters.”

O’Neal said he understands that outside observers seem to be particularly enjoying the Laker slide.

“I expect it,” O’Neal said. “Because on paper, you know, we’ve got a nice team. Should be no reason why we’re going through the stuff we’re going through.”

Then, with a wink: “But you guys know the real problem, you’re just scared to write about it.”

TONIGHT at Golden State 7:30, Channel 9

* Site--The New Arena.

* Radio--KLAC (570 AM).

* Records--Lakers 26-16; Warriors 18-22.

* 1999 Record vs. Warriors--1-1.

* Update--Yes, it’s a Warrior playoff drive. After a terrible start, Golden State is battling Sacramento, Seattle and Phoenix for the last two spots in the Western Conference race, for the right to open against either Utah or Portland.