Refs Giving Him Ts, No Sympathy

The annual Turkey Trot is a tradition Coach Phil Jackson brought to the Lakers. It’s a semi-organized team scrimmage in which the center and forwards take on the guards. The players call it big guys vs. little guys.

Normally, it’s held on Thanksgiving Day, but because the Lakers played Tuesday and Wednesday and are in the midst of playing six games in 10 days, Jackson gave his players Thursday off. So the Turkey Trot was held Saturday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo.

For the record, the big guys won by 20 points.

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant didn’t play. Instead, O’Neal, wearing a red net top, and Bryant, wearing a gray sweat suit, refereed the scrimmage.

“Did Kobe call any technicals?” Jackson was asked.

The question made the coach smile. “Almost,” he said.

But Jackson wasn’t smiling Friday night when Bryant was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors after picking up his fifth and sixth technical fouls of the season.

Jackson has one technical this season, and O’Neal has one. No other Laker has any.

Bryant, perhaps anticipating questions about the technicals, did not speak with reporters Saturday.

Jackson said he talked with Bryant about it after Friday night’s game.

“I told him we need him in there,” Jackson said. “I told him you can’t say anything personal to an official, and from what he told me it didn’t sound like he did.”

Bryant was called for throwing an elbow at Warrior guard Bobby Sura about three minutes into the fourth quarter. Bryant protested, and about a minute later referee Bennie Adams called another technical, which meant automatic ejection.

It was Bryant’s first ejection of the season. His last was against the Clippers on Dec. 30.

Bryant is a team captain this season, which means he is allowed to talk with officials on the team’s behalf. Apparently, he is still learning what he can and can’t say.

*

Jackson said he hasn’t decided when to activate Derek Fisher and Mark Madsen from the injured list. He’ll make a decision today and will either make them available for tonight’s home game against Denver or wait for Tuesday night’s home game against Milwaukee.

Fisher, who had surgery on his right foot for a second time, and Madsen, who suffered a strained abdominal muscle during training camp, have been practicing and both took part in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Madsen said he has been pain-free for about a week and a half. “It’s just a matter of conditioning and endurance and getting into game shape,” he said.

Fisher, hustling into the locker room after the scrimmage, said he didn’t want to talk.

TONIGHT

vs. Denver

6:30, Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 11-1, Nuggets 6-7.

Record vs. Nuggets--1-0.

Update--The Lakers defeated the Nuggets at Denver on Wednesday, 89-68, even though O’Neal scored only 10 points....Nugget guard and former Laker Nick Van Exel is averaging 26.7 points, fifth best in the NBA. Bryant, the league leader, is averaging 27.2 and O’Neal is second at 26.8....The Nuggets have put swingman Tariq Abdul-Wahad on the injured list because of a cartilage problem in his left knee. He was scheduled for surgery Saturday....Antonio McDyess, who had knee surgery Oct. 12, is out until February.

Tickets--(800) 462-2849.