Angry Harris Tells O’Neal to Cool Off

Shaquille O’Neal was in more than foul trouble Friday night at the Forum. He was in trouble, period.

After being disqualified for the second time in three games, he went to the bench with 6:58 left, then got a technical five seconds after play resumed as his frustration with officials continues.

O’Neal’s inability to control his emotions in the fourth quarter of a close game--the Clippers were down by 10 at the time, but, as they soon proved, not out--clearly upset Coach Del Harris and prompted a brief but fairly animated conversation.

Harris wouldn’t discuss the exchange, saying only, “That’s between him and me.” But O’Neal admitted getting the reprimand.

“He was very upset. With me,” O’Neal said. “It wasn’t that smart. There’s a certain time to get technicals and a certain time not to.”

It was the second technical for O’Neal, both after foul calls went against him. He has had at least five fouls in six of the nine games and accuses officials of treating him more harshly than other centers. Harris defends him.

“They tend to allow more contact against him,” the coach said. “I thought that even when he was on the Orlando team, that he got beat to death.”