O’Neal Finds Silver Lining

When Shaquille O’Neal clanked himself into the NBA record book, missing each of his 11 free-throw attempts Friday night against Seattle, he was predictably glum.

By Sunday night, before the Lakers played Detroit, O’Neal had learned to live with such a dubious feat.

“Any time you can replace a guy like Wilt,” O’Neal said, grinning, “it’s an honor.”

Wilt Chamberlain once was 0 for 10 from the line. That record stood for 40 years, until O’Neal. But, hey, when life gives you bricks, make a lovely barbecue, or maybe a patio.

“You know, when you try real hard, anything can be accomplished,” O’Neal said. “I’ll tell my sons--you know, your daddy beat out Wilt. I’ll always be remembered in this game.”

O’Neal laughed hard at that. Confounded by his inability to make his free throws--he made two for five in the Laker win Sunday and is shooting 38.5% on the season--O’Neal has a new coach. And, according to Phil Jackson, O’Neal continues to thrash away at it.

“He worked real hard today,” Jackson said. “I didn’t like what I saw, particularly. But, I just want him to find a rhythm out there.”

“I don’t like to chide him on it because it’s a very sore spot for him. I’m trying not to hammer home the point, ‘It’s your fault,’ all the time. There’s other faults out there besides that.”

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Kobe Bryant suffered a slight sprain of his left ankle in the first quarter Sunday.

He said the injury did not adversely impact his game and, in fact, did not mention it to trainer Gary Vitti.

Bryant sprained the same ankle during last season’s NBA finals. He said he did not expect it to linger.

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The Lakers’ preferred defense on Jerry Stackhouse was Ron Harper, but the matchup occasionally fell to Bryant.

While he outscored Bryant, 30-26, Stackhouse was dissatisfied.

“I’m just trying to win us some games,” Stackhouse said. “Kobe is a great competitor. Next time he is at my house, and maybe the race will be a little closer.”

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There are faults. The Lakers arrived at seven losses six weeks--and 18 games--faster than last season, and Jackson fears the team might be too sure of its place in the NBA finals.

“There’s a genuine sense of looking at this league and wondering what other teams are going to be good,” Jackson said of the players. “Like, what teams are going to stand up against us, hang there with us? San Antonio. Maybe Sacramento. Portland. Perhaps Utah’s got the revitalization to stick through an 82-game season this year and still be whole at the end.

“But, that’s not the attitude I like. I like an attitude where you go in with a fresh mind every night, where you have a new attitude about playing every team every night.”