Jackson Jabs Back at Maloof

Before Game 5, Coach Phil Jackson had no major retort for derogatory comments about him attributed this week to Sacramento King co-owner Joe Maloof.

According to a report by the Bloomberg News Service, Maloof called Jackson “arrogant,” said Jackson had been “cowering in the corner” during the Lakers’ losses in Games 3 and 4 at Arco Arena, and said that he would love to force Jackson to admit that he had been outcoached in the series.

“I don’t know the guy,” Jackson said of Maloof. “He must know me much better than I know him. . . . Right now, it doesn’t matter, it’s not important.”

Is it odd for Jackson, who is used to sparring with other coaches or players, to receive a bolt from a team owner?

“I don’t know--is this guy a gambler?” said Jackson of Maloof, who is involved in the Nevada casino industry. “Is that where he makes his money? He’s a character-builder.”

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Instead of holding the morning shoot-around at Staples Center on Friday--as the Kings did--the Lakers held theirs at their El Segundo practice site. “We feel pretty confident that we know [the Staples] court,” Jackson said. “We needed some time in our own building--do some things that were just for us.”

Executive Vice President Jerry West made a fairly rare pregame appearance in the Laker locker room, shaking hands and speaking to Shaquille O’Neal and Glen Rice.

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A couple hundred tickets for Sunday’s game will be available this morning at the Staples Center box office or through Ticketmaster.