Lakers haven’t panicked yet

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Los Angeles Lakers handed out compliments to the Detroit Pistons on Friday about as well as they’ve passed the ball to Shaquille O’Neal – grudgingly, or not at all.

“It’s all about us,” O’Neal said. “They’re not doing anything that’s putting us out of character. We’re putting our own selves out of character.”

The Lakers trail Detroit 2-1 in the best-of-7 series, and they’re lucky not to be down 3-0 in an NBA Finals that has defied expectations.

O’Neal is not getting his hands on the ball nearly enough. He took just 14 shots in Game 3, while Devean George, Derek Fisher and Kareem Rush each took at least eight.

O’Neal isn’t the only one baffled by the Lakers’ reluctance to turn to a player with a career finals average of nearly 34 points – second in NBA history behind Rick Barry’s 36.3.

“They’re just not throwing him the ball,” said Pistons center Elden Campbell. “We’re denying him, but not that much.”

A loss Sunday night would leave them trailing 3-1, a deficit no NBA team has overcome in the finals.

The two-day break between games will give the Lakers a chance to regroup.

“We’ll make our adjustments, simple as that,” Bryant said. “We’ll be fine.”