Lakers Coach Phil Jackson didn't sound disappointed that he was passed over in favor of Philadelphia 76ers Coach Larry Brown for the honor of coaching the U.S. basketball team that will play in the Olympic qualifier this summer. Brown likely will coach the Olympic team in 2004 in Athens, Greece.

"One of the reasons I put my name in the ring, allowed myself to be nominated, was that I knew there was a chance [Shaquille O'Neal] would play, and if we wanted the best players, I was willing to sacrifice my summers," Jackson said.

"So it's kind of a relief now for both of us."

O'Neal, who played on the Olympic team in 2000, had said he would consider playing again, but only if Jackson were coaching the team. Although O'Neal isn't expected to play now, Lakers co-star Kobe Bryant already has said he wants to be on the team, regardless of who is coaching it.

A fresh look

For the first time this season, Magic Coach Doc Rivers started his dream lineup, placing Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller on the perimeter. Point guard Darrell Armstrong went to a sixth-man role. Both moves have been anticipated.

Rivers has been waiting to unveil the starting trio of Hill, McGrady and Miller for three years.

"We had to wait for Grant to get his feet up under him -- literally," Rivers said.

Now, Rivers has four-fifths of the starting lineup he wants to use. When Horace Grant fully recovers from left-knee surgery, Rivers would like to move Pat Garrity to the bench and start Grant alongside Shawn Kemp. Then, the Magic would be big enough to compete inside and have a size advantage on the perimeter.

Cautious steps

Hill admitted that in his past three games, he tried unsuccessfully to play through soreness in his left ankle.

"I was limited in those games," said Hill, who hadn't played in a week before Wednesday night. "Those were rough games for me. I did what I could do, and it wasn't much."

In those three games, he scored eight, 10 and two points and played a total of seven quarters. His admission is a departure from last season, when he never would say he didn't feel well, instead attributing his problems to "rust." Now that the Magic have seen the real Hill play, they can tell whenever he is suffering from ankle problems.

"That has been a luxury," Rivers said of knowing Hill better. "You notice it right away. You notice his first step. You notice the pep. It's not a guess anymore."

Leaving his mark

Here's one for the fact box: O'Neal holds the Lakers' all-time record for most points scored in a game against the Magic: 39 on Feb. 18, 2000.

And he also holds the Magic's all-time record for most points in a game against the Lakers: 46 on March 8, 1995.