Shaq not worried about injury

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

As the Heat went through the latter stages of practice Monday, center Shaquille O'Neal sat on the sideline, wincing noticeably. Vinny Aquilino, the team's neuromuscular therapist, was massaging O'Neal's bruised right thigh.

O'Neal still was walking with a slight limp, as he was after Sunday's 116-98 Game 1 playoff victory over New Jersey, but the Diesel, as he calls himself, was in good spirits for a guy who couldn't practice except for some shooting.

And after saying Saturday that he was 80 to 85 percent healthy, and saying Sunday he was at about 40 percent, O'Neal estimated he might be at 50 percent for tonight's Game 2 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

"Am I concerned?" he said. "Not really. A 50 percent Diesel is like a regular center in the league."

He also said he didn't think the injury he sustained April 17 against Indiana would linger much longer.

"I'm only going to get better," he said. "I've got some kinks in my engine, but I know a lot of people, I know a lot of doctor mechanics that are going to fix me up and I'll be right there in no time."

That's bad news for New Jersey. The Nets couldn't defend O'Neal (17 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes) and the Heat in Game 1, and they'll have the same matchup nightmare tonight.

"You either try and take Shaq away and hope that other guys don't come through, or let them throw it into him and see what happens and take away the perimeter game," Nets guard Travis Best said. "Those are the only two options."

New Jersey, which defends O'Neal with 7-foot power forward Jason Collins instead of 7-foot rookie center Nenad Krstic, threw multiple looks at O'Neal, ranging from using Collins and bringing help to playing a zone to a flat-out double team.

While that was going on, the Heat's back court of Dwyane Wade (32 points, his post-season best) and Damon Jones (30 points, also his post-season best) was scoring at will. Their performance made New Jersey examine whether it's paying too much attention to the hobbled O'Neal.

After all, Wade was ninth in the league in scoring at 24.1 points per game, and Jones, who hit seven three-pointers in Game 1, was third in the league with 225 threes.

"Any time guys are making the type of shots they made, then looking back you can say there may have been too much focus on O'Neal," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "But we also have to be honest and say Shaq is one of the most dominant players ever to play this game. It's not like you're giving attention to a guy who's not pretty good."

It was not clear whether Thomas offered Jackson the Knicks' coaching position, although more talks appeared likely.

Reached late Monday night, Brian Musburger, one of Jackson's agents, confirmed the meeting. He declined to offer any details.

"We did have an opportunity to sit down and talk with Isiah Thomas," Musburger said. "Phil and Isiah will undoubtedly talk again."