Don’t Ask Walker if O’Neal Is Ready

Judging from the blood and raw skin under the right eye of Samaki Walker after practice Monday, the Denver Nuggets could be in trouble tonight.

Walker was the victim of an elbow from Shaquille O’Neal, who returns from his three-game suspension tonight when the Lakers play host to the Nuggets at Staples Center.

“He was taking out his frustrations on me,” Walker said.

Actually, the incident was an accident and Walker was having a little fun with the large media contingent at practice to hear from O’Neal, who still wasn’t talking.

So Walker’s injury became the news of the day.

During practice, a lob pass went into O’Neal and Walker came up to defend on O’Neal’s blind side.

So what happened next?

“I saw stars,” Walker said. “I almost lost consciousness and had to sit down under the basket. I was pretty dizzy for a second.”

Walker, who said O’Neal “gave me some love,” was smiling as he described the incident, and Coach Phil Jackson downplayed it.

“Shaq just turned at the wrong time,” Jackson said.

Said Kobe Bryant: “The cut made it look worse than it really was.”

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Crews from almost every local television station, plus Fox Sports Net and ESPN, were at the Laker practice facility in El Segundo. Local newspapers and radio stations also were well represented.

They were there to get comments from O’Neal about his suspension and the Jan. 12 incident that caused it.

O’Neal, after being beaten on by the Chicago Bulls’ Brad Miller and Charles Oakley all game, retaliated by taking a swing at Miller. O’Neal, for the most part, has avoided talking to the media since.

Monday was no exception. He walked right past everyone and into the locker room.

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Because Monday was Martin Luther King Day, Laker players got together before practice to talk among themselves about the civil rights leader.

“He’s a big part of our history, and not just African American history,” Bryant said.

TONIGHT

vs. Denver, 7:30, Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KLAC (570).

Records--Lakers 28-9, Nuggets 12-28.

Record vs. Nuggets--3-0.

Update--The last time these teams played, Jan. 2 at Denver, the Nuggets failed to score in the final 2:31 and the Lakers won by a point. ... Nick Van Exel is averaging 22.7 points after he averaged a career-high 17.7 last season.

Larry Stewart