Misery loves company

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@ix.netcom.com>]

Not that it makes our situation any better, but we should remember that
other teams have problems, too.  FWIW:


ANAHEIM — Karl Malone said he felt he was leaving his shooting woes
behind after his solid 10-for-20 performance on Friday night in Utah's
victory over Vancouver.
	Not so fast.
	Malone — and the entire Jazz team, for that matter — had the ignominy
of
getting beat up by Los Angeles, 103-77, Saturday night.
	No, not by the Lakers — by the Clippers.
	The team that entered the game, as the L.A. Times pointed out, being
able to count their wins on one hand with three broken fingers led the
Jazz by 20 — count 'em — 20 points at the half, 52-32, at the Arrowhead
Pond. The Clips led by as many as 29 in the second half, a half that
Malone, mercifully, didn't have to live through on the court.
	The Mailman — after going just 1-for-7 from the field — was ejected
from the game with 9:44 remaining in the third quarter after a shoving
match with Maurice Taylor. Malone, who had already gotten hit with
technical for arguing about a no-call foul late in the first half,
scored just seven points on the night before being sent to the showers.
	That broke a stretch of 575 consecutive games that Malone had scored in
double figures. His partner for the past 13 years, John Stockton, didn't
reach double figures either, with just four points. It was the first
time since 1987 that both Stockton and Malone were held under double
digits in the same game.

*************

Charles Barkley objected to teammate Scottie Pippen's whining to the
press recently about his role as a Rocket. "That's for the privacy
behind closed doors," said Barkley, who has never been reluctant to make
his views public. "He shouldn't discuss that. That just gives the idiots
in the media something to talk about."

*************

Rookie Michael Olowokandi is feeling the pressure of being the NBA's top
pick on a dismal Clipper team. When a reporter asked an innocuous
question recently, the Kandi Man sweetly screamed, "Get out of my face!"

*************

Nets guard Kendall Gill didn't appreciate words of encouragement from an
opponent after a loss to the lowly Bulls. "It's disappointing when Ron
Harper's telling me to keep my head up and the Bulls aren't (bleep),"
Gill said. "I thought that was an insult."

*************

Rick Fox, for one, isn't convinced the Lakers are finished making
gossip-page headlines. "We've been a soap opera act all year," he said.
"There's no reason to believe it's over. It's a continuing saga."

*************

Miffed Worm skips practice

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers forward Dennis Rodman, benched during
the final 16 minutes of a 111-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday
night, missed practice Saturday.
	However, Rodman met with coach Kurt Rambis for about 30 minutes
afterward, according to team spokesman John Black, who said Rambis told
him he "felt good after their talk."
	Black said Rodman showed up about 20 minutes before practice ended, and
didn't participate. Black also said Rodman will play against the New
York Knicks on Sunday, and wouldn't comment when asked if there would be
a fine levied.
	"As per team policy, that will be handled internally," Black said. "We
don't discuss that."
	Rodman, the seven-time NBA rebounding champion who joined the Lakers
last month, left the team for personal reasons March 13, and missed the
first four games of their six-game road trip that began the following
night in Sacramento. The Lakers lost three of the four games without
Rodman.
	He rejoined the Lakers in Orlando last Sunday, when they rallied from a
24-point deficit to beat the Magic 115-104. A 96-93 victory at Dallas
the following night made the Lakers 11-0 with Rodman in uniform.
	However, the Lakers have lost their last two games -- to Phoenix
106-101 Wednesday night and to the Kings, when they blew a 16-point
halftime lead.
	Rodman made his first start of the season against Sacramento, replacing
Travis Knight, but played only 24 minutes, and just eight in the second
half.
	"I guess I have to take the blame for that, even though I'm not going
to say what happened," Rambis said following the game.
	When pressed for details, Rambis said, "Let's not start with 20
questions trying to get it out of me. That's just the end of it, it was
just a coach's decision."
	As usual, Rodman wasn't available for comment after the game, but in
comments he issued through the team, he made mention of his limited
playing time.
	"I think you need to ask the people around here what is going on," said
Rodman, who had two points and a team-leading nine rebounds. "This is
just completely ridiculous. I'm not used to this.
	"I am in the starting rotation and I only played 24 minutes tonight.
But I can't say nothing about that. That is a coach's decision so don't
ask me about that."

--
Mike Dynon
North Kingstown, RI