O’Neal Practices, Expects to Play

Shaquille O’Neal, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26, had a light practice Monday night at a sports club in Manhattan and expects to play tonight at New Jersey.

Together again for the first time since last Wednesday, when they beat Phoenix on a last-second shot by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were 4-2 without O’Neal, who had a strained right arch.

In a 1-hour 15-minute practice, watched by about 100 members of Sports Club L.A. on the East Side, O’Neal jogged, jumped and shot without apparent pain. While the team ran laps around the small gym, J.R. Rider trotted behind O’Neal and shouted, “He’s ba-a-a-ck!”

Afterward, O’Neal, averaging 26.9 points and 12.8 rebounds, told team officials that he felt fine, and that he expected to play against the Nets.

“They said they’re going to limit my minutes,” O’Neal said, then rolled his eyes. “[But] I’ll get my average.”

Asked if believed he could go longer, O’Neal said, “I don’t know. We’ll see.”

Trainers will evaluate O’Neal again today during a shoot-around before clearing him.

“When he left L.A. on Wednesday he said he was feeling very good, and he said he was starting to move fine,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “I trust that it’s happening.”

*

O’Neal spent part of his day in East Orange, N.J., with his great-grandmother, Cillar. On his way up from Washington, D.C., he just stopped in.

“I was chilling with her all day,” he said.

He said he sat on the couch and looked through old family albums and books.

“I even took a nap over there,” he said, smiling. “It felt like I was getting baby-sat, like when I was little.”

*

The All-Star game apparently did little for Bryant’s right shoulder, which remained sore.

He played 30 minutes Sunday, the last 10 or so of which were hard minutes.

“I’ll have a message for Rick [Adelman, the Western Conference coach], the next time I see him,” Jackson said, grinning.

That won’t help Bryant’s shoulder, though.

“It’s going to stay sore as long as I have to keep raising my arm,” he said.

*

If the Lakers make a trade before the Feb. 22 deadline, it appears it will be of the unspectacular variety, and even that is a long shot.

“It’s probably unlikely,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “I’m not sure teams want to do anything right now. The intensity will pick up in the next week, though. There have been a couple of conversations that I’ve had mild interest in.”

More likely, Kupchak will save his tradable players and $3.2-million traded-player exception for the summer, when the real work begins.

“Essentially, we like the team,” Kupchak said.

TONIGHT

at New Jersey, 4:30 PST

(Channel 9, 5:30)

* Site--Continental Airlines Arena.

* Radio--KLAC-AM (570).

* Records--Lakers 31-16, Nets 17-34.

* Record vs. Nets--1-0.

* Update--Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal each scored 26 points in a 113-101 victory over the Nets on Jan. 26 at Staples Center. Stephon Marbury scored 33 points and Keith Van Horn 25. The Nets were the last team to score 100 points against the Lakers, who have gone six consecutive games allowing fewer than 100. Oddly enough, O’Neal hasn’t played in any of them.