WASHINGTON — Shaquille O'Neal kissed Caron Butler on the head, got a technical for hanging on the rim and thumped Andray Blatche into a knee-buckling injury.
He also scored 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Of course, a 36-year-old center playing back-to-back games at the end of a long road trip isn't much of a problem when the opponent is the new worst team in basketball.
O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns wrapped up a six-game, East Coast swing Monday night with a 103-87 win over the Washington Wizards, who suffered the indignity of falling behind the Oklahoma City Thunder to take sole possession of the NBA cellar.
"This is a game of men, and we backed down tonight," Wizards co-captain Antawn Jamison said. "We didn't take the challenge that we preached before the game. Shaq senses that he's going to take advantage of that, and he sensed that tonight. He was more dominant, more physical. He could have pretty much what he wanted, took his time. He had fun tonight."
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O'Neal finished 10 for 14 from the field and 9 for 10 from the free-throw line for the Suns, who salvaged their trip by winning the last two to finish 3-3. O'Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes in Sunday's 104-99 win in Atlanta.
The Suns outscored the Wizards by 24 points when O'Neal was in the game. He went 4 for 4 from the field in the fourth quarter, when Phoenix shot 68 percent and outscored Washington 28-14 to pull away.
"I feel like I can play three or four more years," O'Neal said. "I've got a new medical staff that does stuff that I haven't really had before. I'm moving left, I'm moving right, I'm running, I'm jumping, I'm dunking, I'm getting up and hanging on the rim and getting techs, and I haven't felt this good in about two years."
O'Neal has been rested on the back end of some back-to-backs this season, but there was no need against a team that doesn't have a big body to bang him around. With natural power forward Blatche and rookie JaVale McGee manning the paint, the Wizards had little chance.
"There's been a lot of talk that 'He hasn't been in the greatest of shape,' but my style is my style," O'Neal said. "I always come in at 60 and I end up at 100. There's a lot of guys that try to come in at 100 and can't maintain 100. My style is always going to be my style."
Amare Stoudemire added 22 points and 15 rebounds, Leandro Barbosa scored 23 points, and Steve Nash had 14 points and 15 assists for the Suns, whose 53-38 rebounding advantage helped overcome 17 turnovers.
Butler scored 28 points, and Jamison had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Wizards, but they didn't get much help as Washington lost for the 10th time in 12 games. The rest of the team scored 32 points on 17-for-41 shooting.
"I can't ask the two forwards to do more than they do," Wizards interim coach Ed Tapscott said.
