Hurt Pair Gain Votes In Bunches

In a case of reputation over performance, Shaquille O’Neal and Scottie Pippen are among the leading vote-getters for the NBA All-Star game.

O’Neal has played only eight games this season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Pippen has not played all season for the Chicago Bulls because of a foot injury.

In the first balloting results released Tuesday, O’Neal is the top vote-getter among fans on the Western Conference team.

O’Neal, sidelined by an abdominal strain and now a hairline wrist fracture, drew 125,766 votes. He is far in front in voting for center, with David Robinson of San Antonio next at 83,885.

Pippen has received 85,286 votes, good for second place among forwards, which would get him a starting berth in final returns.

Michael Jordan of the Bulls leads in the overall vote at 197,370. O’Neal, already out five weeks with a strained abdominal muscle, will miss at least two more weeks because of a hairline fracture of his shooting wrist, an injury incurred two weeks ago from punching a heavy bag.

The injury wasn’t diagnosed until Monday after pain persisted in O’Neal’s right wrist. The Lakers said he has not been fitted for a cast.

Hall of Famer dies

Basketball Hall of Famer Les Harrison died Tuesday night of complications from a stroke at Highland Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. He was 93.

Harrison was a charter member of the NBA, and he served as coach and owner of the 1951 Rochester Royals team that won the NBA title.

Jackson gets 500th

Phil Jackson reached the 500-victory mark faster than any coach in NBA history as his Chicago Bulls got 27 points from Michael Jordan and a season-high 25 rebounds from Dennis Rodman to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-89 Tuesday night.

David Robinson scored a season-high 39 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 91-79 victory over Indiana that snapped the Pacers’ six-game winning streak.