Bryant, Wade resume rivalry

There won’t be Shaq versus Kobe. Or Shaq versus Phil. Or Phil versus Pat.

But there will be Dwyane Wade versus Kobe Bryant, the continuation of a mini-rivalry established when the Miami Heat guard blistered Bryant and the Lakers last month for 40 points and 11 assists, his gift to Heat fans in a 101-85 Christmas Day blowout.

The Lakers never led, trailed by as many as 19, and were beaten badly as Wade punched through them on too many screen-and-roll plays to count.

They were more or less as soft and gentle as the pricey body lotion the league packed into gift bags for them after the game.

Bryant had his lowest-impact game of the season -- 16 points on four-for-17 shooting -- and added to an overall viewing experience that left Coach Phil Jackson saying he’d rather have stayed in the locker room at halftime and watched “A Christmas Carol.” He was only partly joking.

“It was on national TV on Christmas in front of all of our families,” forward Luke Walton said Sunday. “We got embarrassed out there. We definitely have some bitterness in our mouths.”

The Lakers weren’t the only ones feeling irritated by the whole holiday thing. Even the winners were less than thrilled with what went on.

Shaquille O’Neal, the centerpiece of three championship runs with Jackson and the Lakers, was angry when Jackson knocked his work ethic by saying O’Neal “didn’t like to work” when he was with the Lakers.

O’Neal countered by referring to Jackson as “Benedict Arnold,” declining to elaborate, but not really needing to state the obvious -- that Jackson had reunited with Bryant in Los Angeles, a personal affront in the eyes of O’Neal.

Neither Bryant nor O’Neal spoke to reporters after their teams practiced Sunday, although Jackson was available for comment. He suggested it would be better if O’Neal played today because it might wrinkle the Heat’s recent success.

“If Shaq was well, I think it would be a bigger distraction than if he’s not because they’re playing really well,” Jackson said.

O’Neal has been out for more than two months because of torn cartilage in his left knee. He was initially injured Nov. 12, had surgery a week later and told reporters Saturday there would be “zero” chance he would play today, although he is getting close to a return.

Meanwhile, the Heat keeps rebounding from a sour start to its post-championship season. Despite going without O’Neal and Coach Pat Riley, who is out indefinitely while recovering from hip-replacement surgery, Miami has won a season-best four consecutive games, including a 119-110 victory Saturday in Utah.

“We’ve got our so-called swagger back,” Wade told reporters Saturday.

Riley’s temporary replacement, Ron Rothstein, is 4-2, and Miami is winning on the road, something it failed to do consistently until starting 4-1 on a six-game trip that ends tonight.

“They’re still the champs until someone throws them out of the playoffs,” Jackson said, providing a brief history lesson.

Time hasn’t been kind to the Lakers in this rivalry since they traded O’Neal. They are 1-4 against the Heat, last month’s loss taking the prize as the most one-sided of their defeats.

This will be the last time they face each other this season, unless they meet for the championship.

With O’Neal watching from the sideline, the Lakers’ game plan could be boiled down to two simple words: Contain Dwyane.

Time after time in last month’s game, Bryant would get picked with a high screen, allowing Wade to go one-on-one with a Lakers post player. It wasn’t hard to determine who would win, Wade pushing the Heat forward with a variety of drives, behind-the-back passes and breezy fade-away shots.

Unlike the day Gilbert Arenas lighted up the Lakers for 60 points, Bryant threw praise in Wade’s direction after their game against the Heat: “It was really masterful for him, coming off those screen and rolls and attacking,” he said. “He’s a phenomenal young player.”

Which leaves the Lakers with their current-day plan....

“We’ve got to make other people make some shots,” Walton said, “and try not to let Dwyane just get in the middle of our lane like he did all game last time.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com