Asked and Answered: Walker on Injured List

Already having had five of their frontcourt players on the injured or suspended list in the first month, the Lakers put forward-center Samaki Walker on the injured list Tuesday and activated forward Mark Madsen.

Walker suffered a strained lower back during Sunday night’s win against the Milwaukee Bucks and apparently suggested to the Laker staff that he’d need at least the five games required on the injured list.

“We just felt, given his demeanor and his mentality about it, it was probably best,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “We kind of left this one up to him.”

Walker, who had played through an earlier ankle sprain, averaged 8.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in 14 games, 12 of them as a starter, 11 in place of Shaquille O’Neal.

Madsen played 14 minutes against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night and had two points and five rebounds.

*

Larry Brown is the 2004 Olympic team coach and Jackson is, apparently, relieved.

“One of the reasons I put my name in the ring ... was simply because I knew there was a chance [O’Neal] would play,” Jackson said. “And if we wanted to bring our best players, he represents the best of our best.”

He grinned and added with mock sincerity, “I was willing to sacrifice my summers in response to that. It’s a relief to both of us at this time, that we both don’t have to serve.”

Asked again about the chance he’d play, O’Neal limped away from reporters, reviving the running joke about the condition of his knee come 2004.

“Nah,” he said. “It’s two years from now. A lot can happen in two years.”

*

O’Neal holds the Laker record for points against the Orlando Magic (39, Feb. 18, 2000) and the Magic record for points against the Lakers (46, March 8, 1995).

Both games were played in Florida.

*

In the second quarter, referee Scott Foster called a lane violation on O’Neal, who had teetered into the lane after shooting a free throw.... The Texas Rangers’ Alex Rodriguez has attended three Laker games in three cities (Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami) in the last 10 days, and the Lakers have lost them all.

*

TONIGHT

at Orlando, 4 p.m.

Channel 9, ESPN

Site -- TD Waterhouse Centre

Radio -- KLAC-AM (570), KWKW-AM (1330)

Records -- Lakers 5-10, Magic 8-7.

Record vs. Magic (2001-02) -- 2-0.

Update -- Grant Hill (ankle) and Tracy McGrady (back) practiced Monday and are expected to play. Hill has played in 12 games and averaged 16.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. McGrady’s 31.8 points per game lead the league. Former Laker Horace Grant (knee) is on the injured list. After off-season knee surgery, Grant was in the Magic lineup opening night and hasn’t played since.... The Lakers have won seven in a row in the series, four in a row in Orlando.