Not Much Behind Shaq

With Travis Knight moving to the injured list to make room for rookie swingman Devean George, the Lakers are about as thin as they can get in the frontcourt--only Robert Horry and John Salley behind Shaquille O’Neal and A.C. Green--but Coach Phil Jackson said he wasn’t overly concerned about the situation.

“We’ve been relying on Shaq playing large minutes of games,” Jackson said Saturday, “and he hasn’t had game situations with fouls that’s kept him from playing, so we’ve been fortunate.”

Jackson said that Knight, who has gotten only cameo action this season after spraining his right ankle in the exhibition season, needs more time to fully recovery from the injury.

“His ankle’s been disappointing, [he] hasn’t been able to get any strength or lift off of it,” Jackson said.

*

Guard Ron Harper took a Bryant Reeves knee--”that’s a big slow knee,” Harper said with a grimace--in the upper left leg in the first half, played through it, but then had to leave the game in the third quarter and did not return.

Harper said he didn’t know what his status would be for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

“It got tight,” Harper said. “It’s a long year. I didn’t need to go out there and try to kill myself tonight.

“As of now, we’ll take it one day at a time. Tomorrow, we’ll see how it feels and go from there.”

TONIGHT

vs. Detroit

6:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC 570.

* Records--Lakers, 16-5; Pistons, 10-10.

* 1999 vs. Pistons--Did not play.

* Update--Detroit’s Grant Hill (27.5 points per game, No. 2 in NBA behind Shaquille O’Neal) and Jerry Stackhouse (No. 21) are the highest-scoring duo in the league and put tremendous pressure on defenses at the wing spots. The Pistons are 3-1 in their last four games, including victories over San Antonio and at Milwaukee.