O’Neal Faces Fine for Latest Absence

Shaquille O’Neal, excused from Tuesday’s practice to attend the birth of his child, also missed Wednesday’s practice, but without permission.

Coach Phil Jackson said O’Neal would be fined, but did not appear angry at his AWOL center. Jackson’s fines usually are very small, and symbolic in nature.

Shaq--Daddy, again--called someone in the organization to say he would meet the team at the airport on Wednesday afternoon, in time for the charter flight to Houston.

“I have no issue [with that],” Jackson said with a grin. “He’s going to have a lighter wallet, but I have no issue.”

Jackson called it, “A matter of miscommunication. He didn’t talk to me. He sent word to somebody other than myself.”

O’Neal’s absence meant a lot less heft in the lane during Wednesday’s practice. Mark Madsen, days away from being activated from the injured list, Jelani McCoy, Slava Medvedenko and Samaki Walker all rattled around in there.

“You see all those big guys I had out there today?” Jackson said in something of a joke, since he knows he doesn’t allow the media to watch his practices. “I think if Shaq got on one side of a teeter totter and we put all the rest of our big guys on the other side, it wouldn’t work.”

O’Neal ought to enjoy that image.

“No,” Jackson said. “They’re just a light group.”

*

Rick Fox missed 13 of his first 17 three-point shots.

A decade into an NBA career that has seen all manners of extremes, Fox sat sidesaddle on an exercise bike in an El Segundo gym and seemed rather amused at the request for introspection.

“I just decided to be Robert [Horry] this year,” he said, deadpan, of his famously slow-starting teammate.

Fox figures the legs will regenerate, the feel will come, the shots will fall, and everyone will forget six fall games.

Just as they did last season.

After a similar six-game slump from the perimeter, Fox actually lost his starting job. Kobe Bryant started at small forward and Brian Shaw at guard for five games, long enough for Fox to rework his stroke.

Fox shot 31.4%, 23.5% from the arc, through six games last season. Through this half-dozen: 41.5% and, remarkably, 23.5% (four for 17) from the arc.

There has been no talk about benching Fox again. His defense and playmaking--more critical, really, with O’Neal and Bryant taking most of the shots--have been typically sound.

Fox has two possible explanations for the long-range misses. First, though it has scored a league-best 106.3 points per game, the offense is fractured.

“I’m not Shaq or Kobe,” he said. “I rely on the offensive system to be effective.”

Second, his legs are just now adjusting to his in-season conditioning and weightlifting routines. He shrugged.

“Phil thinks it’s in the legs a little bit,” he said.

TONIGHT

vs. Houston Rockets

Channel 9 and TNT, 6 p.m.

Site--Compaq Center.

Radio--KLAC-AM (570)

Records--Lakers 6-0, Rockets 5-3.

Record vs. Rockets (2000-01)--3-1.

Update--The Rockets have lost two in a row, at Denver and at San Antonio, since their 5-1 start. Steve Francis, averaging 20.9 points, has led the Rockets in scoring five times. Glen Rice is not getting shots for his third team in three years.