Recent Games Encourage O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is healthy, three weeks and one geography paper from graduating from Louisiana State, and contentedly cramming for his next challenge, which is the LSAT.

If that’s not enough to make a grown man spry, the Lakers finally are winning at their expected rate. They’ve won three in a row and six of seven, showing O’Neal they’re sometimes willing to move the basketball, get open and hit an uncontested shot.

“If we can keep playing like we did the last couple of games,” O’Neal said, “we’ll be hard to beat.”

They are averaging 100.1 points a game, more than all but Sacramento, and 110 in their past three, an offensive surge they bring into tonight’s game against the Clippers.

“Last year, on paper, we didn’t have as many weapons, so I had to score 40 a game,” O’Neal said, exaggerating only slightly. “I had to do that. Now, we’ve got Horace [Grant], who can play. Rick [Fox], Brian Shaw, Ron [Harper], J.R. [Rider]. Give those guys the ball. Just get them the ball. I’m the type, I can get mine. If--write this--if I want to lead this stinkin’ league in scoring, I can. But, I’d rather get those guys involved. It makes the game easier.”

After predicting in training camp that this team could be better than last year’s world champion, the Lakers spent much of the past three weeks wondering where their game was. Solid, high-scoring wins over Golden State and Minnesota have led them to believe they’re closer.

“The last two games, I’m getting an indication of that,” O’Neal said. “But, again, we have to move the ball. Once the ball stops, our car motor’s messed up. Once the engine’s running, we’ll be fine.”

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Harper is expected back from Texas, where he attended his grandfather’s funeral, in time for tonight’s game. He will return to the starting lineup, probably with Kobe Bryant--and not Shaw--as a backcourt partner.

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Coach Phil Jackson gave everybody Saturday off, and the players returned to Sunday’s practice fresh, if somewhat braced for four games in the next five days.

“We’ve been in a pretty good mood for the last few days,” Jackson said. “The players are having a good time in practice. I think we’re starting to play ball a little bit better. That always contributes to that.”