Maybe There Was Monkey Business at Boston Garden

It has been said that the Boston Garden, built in 1928, was populated by leprechauns who plagued visiting basketball teams.

But there were never reports of a resident monkey. However, after the venerable arena’s demolition, monkey bones were discovered among the rubble.

Visiting teams over the years complained about dead spots in the Garden’s famed parquet floor and perceived slights like the occasional lack of hot water in the showers, but none ever complained about a rogue monkey swinging off the backboard to swat away jumps shots.

More baffling, officials have no idea where the monkey might have come from.

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Trivia time: How many times have the Lakers been swept in a seven-game playoff series since the franchise moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis before the 1960-61 season?

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Homers by the numbers: The triple-A Indianapolis Indians pulled off an amazing feat Wednesday against Pawtucket. They homered for the cycle in one inning.

Pete Rose Jr. hit a bases-empty home run, Guillermo Garcia hit a two-run shot, Jason Williams hit a three-run home run and former Red Sox outfielder Glenn Murray hit a grand slam in a 10-run fifth inning.

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Indy fan: Woody Paige of the Denver Post, on his cheering preferences: “I cheer for the Indianapolis 500 to be rained out--and it usually has a weather delay [which it did].

“The Indy 500 is the most idiotic major sporting event in the country and has lost its prestige in the dispute with the drivers.

“More than 25,000 drunks show up to watch crashes and carnage.”

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Bulletin! Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Twin slugger Harmon Killebrew will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on June 14 for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks’ game against the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks.

Not much news value here, but Whiskey Jacks? Now there’s a nickname.

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Pterodactyl prospect: Vancouver Grizzlies’ General Manager Stu Jackson invited University of Pacific center Michael Olowokandi to a workout and was impressed:

“He ran faster than any big guy we’ve had in here before,” he said. “He’s long. He’s got a 7-foot-8 inch wingspan, which is freakish.”

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You are what you eat: St. Louis Cardinal Manager Tony LaRussa, a vegetarian, acknowledging to once consuming a Big Mac: “I had one back when I was a senseless person. Now I’ll get sued like Oprah.”

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Trivia answer: Four--1977, 1982, 1989, and 1998.

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And finally: Brandon Griggs of the Salt Lake Tribune comparing Salt Lake City to Los Angeles before the Jazz swept the Lakers:

”. . . Some Utahans view Los Angeles as a seedy, crowded, crime-ridden place. During Game 2 of the series at Delta Center, a fan hoisted a sign that read, ‘L.A. is dirty, polluted and full of criminals--and so is the city.’

“By contrast, many Angelenos see Salt Lake City as sleepy and square. When film-industry types visit Utah for the Sundance Festival each January, they flee Salt Lake City as fast as possible for the relative chic of Park City and Deer Valley.”