Just Call Him the Big Solution

Coach Phil Jackson canceled Thursday’s practice, giving the Lakers the run of the town for 24 hours.

They might have asked if they couldn’t trade it in for New York or Boston down the line sometime, but they didn’t.

But it was the least Jackson could do, probably, given six consecutive victories, the last three on a trip that was supposed to be the hard part.

Shaquille O’Neal limps so much before and after games you’d have to stop yourself from offering to hold his arm, but then he had 20 points and five blocked shots against Indiana.

Kobe Bryant’s legs flat left him in Indianapolis, where he was out-dunked by 36-year-old Mitch Richmond, but then he dropped 31 points and eight rebounds on the Pacers.

Come the fourth quarter, the floor around the Laker bench is littered with tape and padding and wraps and ice, which makes the Lakers no different than every other team in the league by now.

In recent fourth quarters, however, the Laker bench also is strewn with Laker starters. In the past two games, the front five has played three fourth-quarter minutes. In four games since O’Neal has come off the injured list, the starters have played 15 of a possible 240 fourth-quarter minutes. O’Neal has played six of them.

“Just more rest for me,” he said gratefully Wednesday night.

Predictably, the Laker game has become more stable with O’Neal back in it. He has averaged 24 points and 7.3 rebounds in his return, has shot 61.5% from the floor and 55.2% from the free-throw line, and the Lakers have won the four games by an average of 25 points..

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The Timberwolves don’t play zone defense as much as they did early in the season, Coach Flip Saunders said, but remain comfortable with it.... The Lakers were 22-10 through 32 games last season.... Minnesota sixth man Anthony Peeler made seven of nine three-point shots Wednesday night against Seattle. ... The technical foul charged to Robert Horry in Toronto on Sunday was rescinded by the NBA on Thursday.

TONIGHT

at Minnesota, 5 PST

Channel 9

Site--Target Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 26-6, Timberwolves 25-9.

Record vs. Timberwolves--1-0.

Update--The Lakers beat the Timberwolves, 102-76, on Dec. 1 at Staples Center. The score was tied, 46-46, at halftime. Wally Szczerbiak scored 17 points in the first half, two in the second. Kevin Garnett was one for nine from the floor in the second half. The Timberwolves are without starters Joe Smith (calf) and Terrell Brandon (knee), and still have won six in a row and nine of 10. They start Garnett and Gary Trent at forward, Rasho Nesterovic at center, and Szczerbiak and Chauncey Billups in the back court. The Timberwolves are 15-2 at home.