O’Neal Only as Big as the Next Game

Coach Phil Jackson said that Shaquille O’Neal’s 37-point, 14-rebound, eight-block effort against Allen Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers on Friday was more a product of the intensity of the game than O’Neal gunning for the scoring title.

O’Neal’s scoring average improved to a league-leading 29.1, while Iverson’s 15-point performance dropped his average to 28.9.

“I just think the more competitive the game, the more he’s going to step up,” Jackson said after Saturday’s practice. “But the judge is the next time we play Golden State . . . [or another] under-.500 non-playoff team. How hard is he going to play in that kind of game? That’s an indicator as to what level he wants to win the scoring title.”

In his first years as the Chicago Bulls’ coach, Jackson tried to convince Michael Jordan that scoring titles might work against the team winning the championship. But that was before Jordan led the Bulls to six championships--and won scoring titles in each of those seasons.

Before Jordan in 1990-91, no player had won a scoring title and an NBA title in the same season since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970-71.

“That goes back--that was a long ways back then, when I had the discussion with Michael,” Jackson said. “But Michael broke all those kinds of rules. . . .

“Now, how important is [a scoring title] to a basketball club? No, that’s not important at all. The idea I tried to get across to Michael was, of those points that you score, the ones that are important are those eight points in the last two minutes or three minutes of the game.”

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Glen Rice was noticeably rusty against the 76ers, but said a couple days of practice since missing two days (and Wednesday’s game in Vancouver) because of a stomach virus has gotten him back on track.

“Today, I was able to shoot the ball pretty well, get my legs back up under me,” Rice said. “I’m pretty sure [today against the New York Knicks is] going to be a different story.”

Rice missed a game earlier this year because of flu, and said it’s hard to avoid germs.

“When you’ve got such a big family as my wife and I have, you tend to get sick a little more,” said Rice, who has three children at home. “But I’m not worried about anything. I think everything’s going to be all right.”

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Does Jackson think the Knicks are the favorites to repeat as the Eastern Conference representatives in the NBA finals? “They’d have to beat [likely No. 1-seeded] Indiana on their home court [in the playoffs],” Jackson said, before referring to Larry Johnson’s game-winning play against the Pacers last season.

“They have to hope that [referee] Dick Bavetta calls a four-point play for them.” . . . Jackson confirmed that there’s “a good possibility” that veteran guard Ron Harper will be placed on the injured list before Tuesday’s game at Phoenix.

TONIGHT

vs. New York,

3:30, Channel 4

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 61-12, Knicks 45-27.

* Record vs. Knicks--1-0.

* Update--The Knicks have won three of four on a Western Conference trip and close it against the Lakers, who won in Madison Square Garden (behind O’Neal’s 43 points) on March 19. The Knicks are half a game behind Miami for first place in the Atlantic Division.

* Tickets--Sold out.