| | LOS ANGELES -- Shaquille O'Neal , a virtual lock for his first Most Valuable Player award, sat out Saturday night's nationally televised game against the San Antonio Spurs because of a sprained left ankle.
"Shaq's out, he continues to be day-to-day," Los Angeles
Lakers spokesman John Black said some 50 minutes before tipoff.
| |  | |
| O'Neal |
O'Neal arrived some 15 minutes earlier and, before heading into
the training room, said, "I don't know yet, we'll see," when
asked if he was going to play. O'Neal played high school basketball
at San Antonio Cole.
O'Neal, who leads the NBA in scoring (29.5) and field goal
percentage (.574) and is second in rebounding (13.6), sprained his
ankle in the first half of Wednesday night's 111-104 victory at
Golden State.
O'Neal continued to play despite the injury, and had 49 points
and 13 rebounds as the Lakers recorded their 11th straight win.
The Lakers have already clinched the NBA's best record and
homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, so the game meant
little to them.
Black said O'Neal's ankle began bothering him Thursday. He
didn't practice Friday, and X-rays showed no fracture or ligament
damage.
Before the decision was announced, Lakers coach Phil Jackson
said he doubted O'Neal would play.
"I believe if we were in the playoffs, he would definitely
play," Jackson said. "It's just a precaution. I'm definitely not
disappointed at all."
Jackson said he was uncertain as to whether O'Neal would play
against Seattle on Monday night.
"We have to look at how he recovers," the coach said.
In addition to their 11-game winning streak, the Lakers entered
the game having won 14 straight home games and 30 of 31 overall
since a 105-81 loss at San Antonio on Dec. 1. | |
 |
