O'Neal's mind is at full speed, but not his body

In his first appearance as a member of the Phoenix Suns and first game since Jan. 21, O'Neal sometimes looked like the dominant Shaq of old. Sometimes he looked just plain old, lumbering upcourt while the game around him accelerated to a breathtaking pace.

Yet, he got stronger as the evening got later, an encouraging sign for a man who believes there are championship chapters left to be added to a career that brought him three NBA titles with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.

"This is only our first game playing and we're not really used to each other," he said. "And when we get used to each other, we're going to be the most dangerous team ever created."

The man never was understated, was he?

Whether inspired by playing against the Lakers or gratitude he was airlifted out of Miami and plunked into the middle of a terrific Western Conference playoff scramble, O'Neal found a competitive groove Wednesday.

He scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded three assists in nearly 29 minutes, saving his best effort -- nine points and three rebounds -- for the fourth quarter.

If he didn't quite rediscover his rhythm during the Lakers' 130-124 victory over the Suns before a pumped-up crowd at US Airways Center, he's sure he and his new teammates will soon be able to make beautiful playoff music together.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time," he said, smiling. 'I'm happy to be here and I'm happy these guys accepted me for me. I just have to fit in."

Asked exactly how long it has been since he was so joyful, he didn't miss a beat.

"About a couple days," he said, trying but not succeeding in maintaining a serious expression.

He has had only that short a time to learn his teammates' tendencies and for them to learn his. The Suns don't plan to change anything to accommodate O'Neal's less-than-springy legs. Coach Mike D'Antoni pointed to the Suns' prolific scoring effort as proof no strategic changes are needed.

On second look, he might want to look at the four 30-plus-point quarters the Lakers put up and Kobe Bryant's total mastery of an overmatched Raja Bell. And the fact the Lakers' point total was a season high for an opponent in a game that didn't go to overtime.