Horry’s Return at Least a Few Days Away

The Lakers on Wednesday delayed forward Robert Horry’s expected return from the injured list for at least a few days, saying that his sore left knee needed more time to heal.

“Robert’s not ready to play,” Coach Phil Jackson said before Wednesday’s game. “It’s just kind of a collective mind-set that I think we’ve had between Gary [Vitti, the trainer], myself and Jerry [West].”

Jackson, who said Horry might be activated for Friday’s home game against Houston, said he believes Horry might not be mentally ready to go full-out on the knee.

Though MRI exams have revealed no damage in the knee, the Lakers and Horry are considering arthroscopic surgery, which, if performed, would significantly extend Horry’s injured time.

“If I activated him, I wanted to play him, and I don’t feel compelled to play him tonight,” Jackson said.

Horry, answering questions about his knee Tuesday, mentioned that although the pain has lessened, it has not gone away.

“I think psychologically, he’s got to get himself ready to play,” Jackson said. “I’ve been reading things that you guys are writing that kind of sound like he’s not quite ready to play, although he hasn’t come to me with any of that. I’m kind of feeling that his mind-set isn’t there, either.”

Horry, for his part, said that he isn’t feeling any more pain in his knee than he has in both knees for several seasons.

“I’ve been playing with pain for, what, eight years now?” Horry said. “I’m kind of used to it. . . . I think I feel as good as I’m going to get.”

Horry said he was generally disappointed that he wasn’t activated Wednesday, but said he didn’t think he’d go directly to Jackson to tell him he was ready to play.

“You know, I’m not a big talker,” Horry said. “Probably, it’s me talking to the trainer and the trainer talking to him. But I feel comfortable.”

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Jackson was fined $5,000 by the league for critical comments after Saturday’s 97-82 loss to Portland. The Laker coach tore into the officials after they ejected Shaquille O’Neal with a second technical foul with 9:40 left in the game.