A Big Present Under Tree

The unforgettable games of recent Laker seasons have come against Western Conference teams -- the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, even the Portland Trail Blazers not so long ago.

But after the NBA schedule was released Monday, the eyes of a city scanned the Laker season lineup for the Miami Heat, specifically the date of Shaquille O’Neal’s return to Staples Center.

The NBA, knowing the difference between a good TV matchup and Golden State-Seattle, scheduled the game for Dec. 25 at noon, a holiday game on ABC with too many interested parties to count.

O’Neal, traded to Miami last month, returns to the scene of three championship runs in eight seasons, his acrimonious departure matched in energy only by the angst of Laker fans, some siding with him, some against him.

The Lakers will have played 25 games before facing the Heat, enough time to establish the baby steps of a new-look franchise while leaving plenty of room for a defining visit from the past.

On March 17, the Lakers play the Heat in Miami, marking the return of Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler, who were traded for O’Neal.

Two weeks after that, the Lakers begin the final stretch of the schedule, 12 consecutive games against West teams, which concludes April 20 at Portland.

The Lakers open the season Nov. 2 at home against the Denver Nuggets. They play the next night on the road against the Utah Jazz.

On Nov. 13, new Laker Coach Rudy Tomjano- vich returns to Houston, where he guided the Rockets to NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

With or without O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are one of only three teams that will appear the maximum number of times allowed on the three main NBA networks. The Lakers, Miami and Houston each will have five games on ABC, 10 on ESPN and nine on TNT. ABC will broadcast 18 games, ESPN will have 72 and TNT will show 52.

Last season, Sacramento, the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks were the only teams that made the maximum number of TV appearances.

The Lakers’ longest trip is six games, beginning March 10 against the Mavericks and ending March 18 against the Indiana Pacers.

The Clippers, unlike the Lakers, have two long trips -- eight games over 14 nights in February and seven games at the end of March and beginning of April against the Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, among others.

The Clippers begin the season Nov. 3 against the Seattle SuperSonics at Staples Center. Their regular-season finale is April 20 on the road against the New Orleans Hornets.

The Clippers play host to Miami on Jan. 14, O’Neal’s other appearance at Staples Center. The Clippers’ first game against the Phoenix Suns, who signed former Clipper Quentin Richardson to a six-year, $43-million contract last week, is Nov. 21 at Staples Center.

The NBA schedule has a slightly different look because of the addition of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.

West teams used to play each other four times, but the Lakers play only three games against Portland, Minnesota, the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans, now a member of the West. The Clippers play only three games against Dallas, Denver, Houston and Seattle.

The NBA also has realigned the divisions within the two conferences, creating three five-team divisions in each conference. The Lakers and Clippers are in the Pacific Division with Sacramento, Phoenix and the Golden State Warriors.

All five teams in the Southwest Division -- Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Memphis and New Orleans -- made the playoffs last season. Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle and Utah are in the Northwest Division.