A Fellow Tiger Will Help O’Neal With Free Throws

Shaquille O’Neal, struggling to find his free-throw stroke, has added a former Louisiana State player as his shooting coach.

Ed Palubinskas, who set free-throw records at LSU more than 25 years ago, has initiated a program designed to rework O’Neal’s approach.

Palubinskas was at Staples Center on Tuesday night, when O’Neal converted five of six free-throw attempts in a 96-85 victory over Philadelphia. He did not follow the club to Oakland for Wednesday night’s game against Golden State, in which O’Neal made three of six.

A former member of the Australian national team, Palubinskas holds LSU free-throw percentage records for a career (87.5) and a game (1.000, in 16 attempts).

O’Neal, who despises publicity on the matter, said only, “I’ve known him since college.”

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O’Neal continues to receive daily treatment on his left ankle and foot, 2 1/2 weeks after he was diagnosed with ankle and Achilles’ tendon ailments.

“It’s sore,” O’Neal said.

Coach Phil Jackson believes O’Neal’s recent shooting woes stem from the injuries, which still limit his elevation on shots around the basket.

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With Kobe Bryant and Antawn Jamison each scoring 51 points Wednesday, the obvious question was: When was the last time two players scored 50 or more in the same game?

On Dec. 14, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 63 points for the San Francisco Warriors and Elgin Baylor had 51 for the Lakers.

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Mark Madsen, who attended high school in nearby Danville and college at Stanford, spent most of his pregame stuffing envelopes with tickets for friends and family.

He looked up long enough, however, to say, “Ah, it’s good to smell the Bay air.”

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Dating to last regular season, the Lakers have won seven consecutive games against Eastern Conference teams.