Jackson Gives It a Rest

Coach Phil Jackson canceled practice Thursday morning, announcing it to the team as the charter jet touched down here.

So, the Lakers did not board a bus for the Houston Rockets’ practice facility on the city’s west end, and did not stand before the growing number of reporters arriving to chronicle Shaquille O’Neal versus Yao Ming, and instead napped or wandered through the mall or, in the case of Robert Horry, kept an appointment with an orthodontist.

O’Neal got out from under the Yao controversy for a day, and his teammates weren’t left to explain it, as they sometimes must when O’Neal trudges away without a sound.

It was a risky decision to skip a full-squad workout -- Jackson frequently complains about the team’s lethargy after days off -- but probably a popular one in the wake of Wednesday night’s 90-82 victory in New Orleans. The Lakers play the Rockets tonight.

Besides, O’Neal had addressed the subject of Yao in the moments after the Laker victory, maintaining his benevolent regard for the 7-foot-5 rookie while still stressing his own superiority. He has a knack for such things.

“I don’t have to outscore him and I don’t have to outdo him to solidify my position in this game,” he said. “Everyone knows who I am. In America, in China, in Africa, they all know who I am.”

Meantime, Yao spent the early part of the afternoon shooting 15-foot jumpers on passes fed to him by Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich. When he was through, he took questions, his interpreter standing on a box to be heard above the 50 or so reporters who’d gathered for a regular-season game in January.

Asked about O’Neal’s tongue-in-cheek promise to elbow him in the nose to test his toughness, Yao grinned and said, “I think he has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won’t hurt.”

A tabloid headline somewhere -- “Yao: Shaq Fat.”

“I don’t think there’s any animosity,” Yao said. “We’re all basketball players. We all live together on this earth.”

Some of them simply take up more space, specifically O’Neal, who finds himself healing from toe surgery, defending his turf and warding off accusations of racism, all in the same week. Also, there is word that a news conference has been called by a Chinese group for tonight outside Compaq Center, apparently to state its distaste for O’Neal’s slur.

O’Neal had congratulated Yao for overtaking him in the All-Star balloting, and pleaded “idiot prankster” to the bigotry charges, and has diligently practiced “Dui boochee,” Mandarin for “I’m sorry.”

Yao has asked around about O’Neal’s automobile collection, specifically about who does his modifications, perhaps weary of folding himself into the cab of his stock SUV.

Anyway, as O’Neal and Yao come to know each other, there are those who wonder if these aren’t the first lessons of the once-great center upon the future-great center, a glorious angle but a reach nevertheless, considering O’Neal is only 30 and apparently not yet completely recuperated.

“Nobody’s the same as they were two years ago,” Tomjanovich said. “But, I think [O’Neal] is great. He plays with pride, with passion. I’m a big fan.

“There will be many, many more matchups. Let’s get this one over with and get back to normal life.”

*

TONIGHT

at Houston, 6:30 PST, Ch. 9, ESPN

Site -- Compaq Center.

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

Records -- Lakers 18-20, Rockets 22-15.

Record vs. Rockets -- 0-1.

Update -- Yao put 20 points on the Lakers in November, making all nine of his shots in a 93-89 victory at Staples Center. O’Neal was on the injured list then, and Yao’s perfect night came primarily at the expense of Samaki Walker, Slava Medvedenko and Horry.