O’Neal’s Knee Is Still Sore

Shaquille O’Neal has a sore right knee. How sore remains to be revealed.

He sat out most or all of practice Monday and Tuesday, depending on who’s doing the describing.

Sometimes he wears a black sleeve on the knee, sometimes he doesn’t.

On Tuesday, the eve of Game 5, O’Neal said he had participated in practice, and a few minutes later said, “Phil [Jackson] was gracious enough to give me the last two days off. We know it’s going to be a wrestling match in there [tonight]. Just go home and get some more rest and I’ll be ready.”

A year ago, O’Neal was saying similar things about his left knee.

Then, after a second-round elimination by the San Antonio Spurs, he said his knee had limited his effectiveness.

It was that claim that led, several months later, to Kobe Bryant’s pointed observation that if the Lakers were going to be O’Neal’s team, then “No more ... blaming staff members for not over-dramatizing your injuries so that you avoid blame for your lack of conditioning.”

Asked Tuesday whether his knee was similar to last year, O’Neal said, “No.”

So, it’s better than that?

“About the same,” he said.

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Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan this week was discussing possible New York Knick upgrades when he was drawn into a conversation about this summer’s free agents and eventually found himself sifting through the Laker short-timers.

“Sure are some interesting things you guys are bringing up, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant,” Dolan was quoted as saying.

“Maybe we can get Kobe, Tracy [McGrady] ... that would be some charisma, wouldn’t it?”

Apparently, Dolan wasn’t so much tampering as he was expressing faith in Isiah Thomas’ ability to rebuild the Knicks. In that regard, regarding Bryant, Dolan said, “It’s possible.”

In a scenario so implausible the New York Post buried it, the Knicks are believed to be willing to offer a sign-and-trade with Stephon Marbury for Bryant.

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Slava Medvedenko sat out Monday and Tuesday because of a strained right Achilles’. Jackson said Medvedenko told him the rest would allow him to play tonight. Medvedenko sat out Game 3 and played seven minutes in Game 4.

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If Bryant does not return in time from his hearing in Colorado, Jackson said, Kareem Rush would start at shooting guard.