O’Neal Returns With a Vengeance

In the eight games played after recovering from his strained right arch, Shaquille O’Neal has averaged 31.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocked shots. He is shooting 59% from the floor and 54.9% from the free-throw line.

If those sound a lot like his numbers of last season, they are. He averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds in his most-valuable-player season, the Lakers’ championship season.

After a mercurial first half fractured by various injuries to his feet, O’Neal has found motivation in getting home-court advantage for as long as possible in the playoffs.

Thanks to Western Conference teams pounding each other every night, the Lakers aren’t in terrible position. And, in the coming weeks, Kobe Bryant, Ron Harper and Derek Fisher are expected to return from injuries.

“I always said I’d rather start at the bottom and work up to the top than be at the top all year and fall to the bottom,” O’Neal said. “I like where we are. We’ll all be OK. It’s vital we have the No. 1 spot. But, if worse comes to worst, as long as we have some sort of home-court advantage, I’ll be satisfied with that.”

The Lakers have two sizable trips ahead, and 14 of their final 27 games are on the road. But many of the games against top-level opponents are at home.

“We’re in a position we want to be in,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “We’ve got some road games now that are winnable games for us in this next week [at Denver on Wednesday, at Vancouver on Saturday], then come back with a back-to-back against Golden State. We’ve got a situation that’s of our making if we want to take advantage of it.”

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Aiding the Lakers is the sudden involvement of their bench. Role players such as Brian Shaw and Robert Horry have found space in a Bryant-less offense, Shaw for an average of nearly 18 points in three games.

O’Neal frequently looks for Shaw, who has rediscovered his feel for the offense and his jump shot.

“I’m playing a lot more minutes and that allows me to feel a little freer,” said Shaw, who has played at least 31 minutes a game since Bryant was injured. “I know I’m going to be out there, so I’m not just settling for standing out around the three-point line. The last couple of games, I’ve been cutting to the basket a lot when they’re double-teaming Shaq and I’ve gotten some layups, which I haven’t gotten all season long.

“I don’t consciously go into the games thinking because Kobe’s out I have to pick up the scoring slack. But, if it’s there and my shot is falling, I’m going to take it.”

In his past three games, Shaw is 20 for 34 (58.8%) from the field. In his previous 17 games, he was 17 for 65 (26.2%).

“We had to get accustomed to playing without [Bryant] at the beginning of last season and we’re doing that again right now,” Shaw said. “We obviously know we’re a lot better team with him being in there. But we’ll try to hold it together while he’s out, and get him and Harp back as we’re heading down the stretch of the season, and we’ll get momentum going.”

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Bryant’s chances of playing in Wednesday’s game at Denver are “50-50 at best,” Laker spokesman John Black said.

The team’s leading scorer has shown slight improvement every day since suffering a sprained right ankle Feb. 20 in Dallas but continues to have pain while moving laterally.

He received treatment Monday, officially a day off.

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The Lakers had considered signing defensive guard Felipe Lopez to a 10-day contract, but that appears to have fallen through.