NBA PRESEASON A slimmer Shaq makes an impression

Shaquille O'Neal made a successful debut for Miami.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Time for a new nickname for Shaquille O'Neal, perhaps something along the lines of "The Big Lightweight."
A slimmer, swifter O'Neal made his debut in a Miami Heat uniform Sunday night, looking surprisingly nimble and quick for such an early point in the preseason as he got the better of opposing centers Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo in an 85-75 loss to the Houston Rockets.
"It felt kind of different, but it's something I'll quickly get adjusted to," O'Neal said. "Change is always good, and it's something I'm used to. If I was born in L.A., raised in L.A. and never left L.A., I would probably be a little sick, but it's just another day at the office for Mr. O'Neal."
That office was far from full, with large swaths of empty seats dotting both end zones of the Toyota Center. Maybe Shaq isn't the draw he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the ticket-buying public might start flocking fairly soon once word gets out that O'Neal isn't the man he was a year ago.
He's leaner despite being hungrier.
Ming's opinion
"He looks real skinny," said Yao Ming, who was outplayed once again by the center who knocked him out of the playoffs last spring. "He's much better. He runs better and he jumps better. He's tougher this year because he's in such great shape right now."
The Heat are listing O'Neal at 325 pounds, about 15 pounds lighter than what he registered on the scales when training camp began. But from the looks of how he ran the court Sunday night, from determinedly rotating on defense to maneuvering in the paint on offense, 325 might actually be accurate.
O'Neal had 17 points and seven rebounds, dominating Yao and Dikembe Mutombo in such a manner to validate the hopes of Miami fans whose excitement level has gone off the charts thanks to the team's huge off-season addition.
"It went cool," O'Neal said. "I was in cruise mode, trying to get used to the system and players. I'm going to slowly pick it up here."
Wears new number
Wearing a new number, 32 instead of 34, and clad in black and red rather than purple and gold, O'Neal gave a hearty handshake to Yao and waved to Yao's parents before the opening tip-off. He then recovered from a shaky start -- getting scored on by Yao and losing the ball the first time he touched it on offense -- to make three consecutive shots.
Yao had 10 points and five rebounds for Houston, and Tracy McGrady scored 10 points in 18 minutes in his Rockets debut.