Message to O’Neal: Deal With It

Shaquille O’Neal, already irritated by the return of Hack-a-Shaq and 14 missed free throws, became incensed when referees didn’t call an apparent intentional foul by Mark Madsen in the last two minutes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ take? Deal, O’Neal.

“If we have to foul Shaq 50 times, we’ll foul him 50 times, if that’s what it takes,” Coach Flip Saunders said.

The Timberwolves’ big men were almost halfway there with 22 fouls by the end of the Lakers’ 100-89 victory Tuesday in Game 3. O’Neal made eight of 22 free throws.

Madsen, a teammate of O’Neal’s the three previous seasons before signing with the Timberwolves, played down O’Neal’s ire and the fourth quarter, when O’Neal was sent to the line for 12 free throws.

“There’s going to be contact,” Madsen said. “There’s going to be bumps and bruises. That’s part and parcel of playing in this league.”

Madsen said to expect more of the same Thursday.

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Swingman Wally Szczerbiak, who made all seven free throws he tried, suggested the Timberwolves didn’t get their share of calls in Game 3.

The Lakers made 25 of 43 free throws. The Timberwolves made 12 of 14.

“They shot triple the free throws we did,” Szczerbiak said. “Maybe home-court advantage had something to do with that.”

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Saunders shrugged when asked about Laker Coach Phil Jackson’s between-games assertion that the Timberwolves were playing a little rough.

“I thought Sacramento, the end of that series, was more physical than what our Game 2 was,” Saunders said. “We’re not a team that is a brute, over-physical-type team. We never have been. We try to rely more on playing hard and playing quick. I guess our strength coach should get a raise.”

Saunders, who, like Jackson, cut his teeth in the CBA coaching ranks, said he admired Jackson’s ability to play mind games successfully.

“He usually has a reason for his comments, whether to his players or to the media,” Saunders said. “He’s a master of being able to manipulate. I think one of the things I’ve always been extremely impressed with is his ability to get his point across continually without just coming out and saying it. He does it in a very mild-mannered way.”