Miami ? The Los Angeles Lakers backed up their expressions of confidence in the face of consecutive late-season losses by taking the day off Saturday.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, negotiating some of his own physical ailments, canceled practice upon arrival in Miami. Derek Fisher, Devean George, Mark Madsen and Slava Medvedenko were the only players to take part in an optional workout.

But a far more important matter was addressed as Shaquille O’Neal was scheduled for night-time treatment on his sprained right wrist with trainer Gary Vitti.

The Lakers expect O’Neal to play today after a two-game layoff.

The fact the team lost those two games and is 7-8 this season without him sends a message, according to Rick Fox.

“You tell me, who’s the MVP?” Fox asked. “Look at our team with him and without him. You take him out of our lineup, we look mediocre.”

How O’Neal deals with his sore wrist today  especially on foul shots, considering the difficulty he has bending his wrist back  largely will dictate whether the Lakers suffer their second three-game losing streak in the Jackson era.

The Lakers didn’t lose three in a row until Feb. 15-19.

Miami coach Pat Riley, whose team is essentially out of the playoff race, recognizes how much tougher his job is if O’Neal comes to play.

“I’ve always looked at Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) as the best basketball player, because I said he did it over 20 years,” Riley said. “It’s based on longevity, not just championships. But if Shaquille stays healthy and motivated and wants to stay in the game, I don’t think there’s anybody better.”

Today marks the last time the Lakers will see of the Eastern Conference, unless they reach the NBA Finals.

Jackson, who predicted last season that Milwaukee’s lack of a post presence would keep it from winning the East, can’t make much of a guess.

“Usually it takes the heat of the playoffs to temper the team in a way that they are tested and tried and have established the resolve to come back and show they are capable of winning,” he said.

“The experience of that comes in difficult times in the playoffs.

“But the East is generally so young. There’s no team here that has great experience other than Philadelphia, and without (Allen) Iverson, it’s a longshot.”

“Milwaukee has the experience, but they haven’t been able to show the characteristics they showed last year.”