Loud and Clear, Shaq Delivers His Message

He has a low voice, and he mumbles all the time.

Funny thing, though, when Shaquille O’Neal wants to be heard--across a continent, chest to chest with another 7-footer, under a roof shared by a host of roaring enemies--the man is heard.

That’s when the Lakers’ centerpiece player roars.

In the closing seconds of Monday night’s passionate 80-75 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, with the crowd of 33,788 funneling out of the Alamodome, O’Neal froze in place, stared straight at press row, and mouthed a clarion call:

“They . . . don’t,” O’Neal bellowed, “want . . . none of me!”

Turns out, they didn’t.

The Lakers, limping from Sunday’s home loss to Utah, could have lagged into Texas, and played right into the hands of the rested Spurs.

Instead, O’Neal incited the populace when his assorted denigrations of the treasured duo of Tim Duncan and David Robinson were regurgitated endlessly in the San Antonio media, and O’Neal’s teammates rose to meet the emotional pitch.

O’Neal, who apparently developed a tepid dislike for Robinson when he spent two high school years here, led the way with a game-high 26 points, 13 rebounds and a general squashing of Robinson--who had only 11 points and seven rebounds.

All this after the local paper examined his presumed feud with O’Neal as if it were Clinton vs. Starr.

“I’m known for backing up what I say,” O’Neal said. “Those guys are probably one of the best big-man tandems to ever play the game. And whenever I play the best, it just brings out the best in me.”

Earlier, O’Neal explained his own brand of logic.

“I’m the only guy with many different rivalries,” O’Neal said. “It’s good to be hated. When you’re hated, you’re respected. Remember that.”

O’Neal was not alone Monday.

* Kobe Bryant turned in his third consecutive double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. (Noteworthy from a player who had never registered more than nine rebounds in the previous two seasons of his career).

“Coming into a stadium like this with 30,000 fans screaming and yelling, it can’t help but get you pumped up,” Bryant said. “And you know Shaq is going to say the things he feels are necessary to get him into it.”

* Derek Harper made several key jump shots and had three steals.

* Eddie Jones broke a slump with 21 points and four steals. Coach Del Harris credited Jones’ performance to his team’s much-improved ball movement and patience.

Although it was a low-scoring game and the Lakers made only 41.6% of their shots, there was a better flow to their offense, and in a big step up Sunday’s loss to Utah, they actually got out on the fastbreak in key moments.

Which triggered Jones.

“Eddie’s a streak player,” Harris said. “And he can get into those spells. But what I told the guys, ‘If you want Eddie Jones to play well, move the ball.’

“Because if we’re moving up and down the court and the ball is moving, then Eddie Jones is always good.”

Said Jones, who was three for 22 in his first two games and eight for 18 Monday: “When you’re running up and down the court, that’s my type of game. I like that type of game, passing the ball and getting those shots.”

* And Robert Horry pulled down 11 rebounds as the Lakers outrebounded the Spurs, 51-38.

When the game charged into the final minutes, the Lakers managed to secure six gigantic offensive rebounds in the final four possessions, which ate up the clock and padded the lead. Plus Horry played frenetic defense against Duncan, who was the Spurs’ only serious offensive threat, finishing with 21 points on eight-for-24 shooting. Horry had two blocked shots and a series of deflections to disrupt Duncan’s post game.

And the Lakers, playing without Rick Fox and Travis Knight, found a way to go 2-1 in their opening three-game Western Conference crucible of Houston, Utah and San Antonio.

A very satisfied O’Neal grinned when he was asked if he had proven a point.

“I’m used to getting booed,” O’Neal said. “Nothing can hurt my feelings, especially now that I’m on a mission.”

NBA

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