This May Be as Good as It Gets, O’Neal Says

Shaquille O’Neal said he had come through Friday’s 92-84 Laker victory over Portland with no new pains in his surgically repaired toe or ailing knee.

“I feel all right,” said O’Neal, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds in 44 minutes. “I’m gonna work out every day, try to keep the knee strong.”

But O’Neal also believes that, while the injuries may not get worse, they probably will not get better for the rest of the season, and he will have to play through it.

“If I can get my legs stronger, I can do what I do,” he said. “But I’m always good for 27 and 10, good toe or bad toe.”

Kobe Bryant said he was encouraged by how O’Neal looked Friday and Saturday.

“He said he felt better,” Bryant said. “I’m sure he had a little soreness today, but he looked pretty good.”

Even though Bryant has scored 40 or more points in eight consecutive games, he said the offense still runs through O’Neal.

Coach Phil Jackson said the same thing.

“[Bryant] knows the formula we use, and the format that’s important,” Jackson said. “We still think for our team’s best nature, we need a more even distribution of shots. That will come, because teams will have to pay attention to Shaq, and it will get other players shots.”

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“Reconsidering the fact we played four games in the last six days,” Jackson decided Saturday morning to cancel the team’s scheduled practice, giving the players the option to work out voluntarily.

Among those getting worked on by the training staff was Samaki Walker, who is recovering from an ankle sprain. Jackson isn’t counting on Walker for tonight’s game against Seattle.

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Jackson was silent for a moment when asked if his remarks about the Trail Blazers’ Scottie Pippen, who played for Jackson in Chicago, could be considered tampering.

Pippen, 38, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Jackson had said, “When the time comes, we’ll certainly talk about it because we know he’d fit well.”

On Saturday Jackson said, “He’s an extremely talented ballplayer who’s played in our system. Any coach would love to have Scottie play for him.”

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It appears that the Denver Nuggets will waive point guard Chris Whitney as early as Monday. The Lakers and the Orlando are believed to have the most interest in Whitney. The Nuggets acquired point guard Shammond Williams at the trading deadline.

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TONIGHT

vs. Seattle, 6:30, Fox Sports Net

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KLAC (570).

Records -- Lakers 29-25, SuperSonics 23-30.

Record vs. SuperSonics -- 1-0.

Update -- It will be a different SuperSonic team without guard Gary Payton in the lineup. Payton was traded to Milwaukee for guard Ray Allen on Thursday. Even though Allen hasn’t had much time to learn the Seattle system, O’Neal said he still makes the SuperSonics dangerous. “Gary was the mean snake head on a mean snake. Ray is a lethal snake head on a dangerous snake. It’s a team we can’t take lightly.” The Lakers won the only meeting between the teams this season, 119-98, on Jan. 7. Bryant had 45 points.