Malone Remains a Hot Topic

While the Lakers continued to wonder how the Dallas Mavericks’ Steve Nash got away with fouling Karl Malone’s elbow with his face, Coach Phil Jackson said Sunday night that Nash should have known better.

“Karl’s played a zillion games,” Jackson said. “Anybody who’s watched him play knows he’s going to protect the basketball.

“Any guard that’s stupid enough to go in and foul him -- and I got a technical on that play because Nash did foul him, came across his arm and got away with it -- knows that he’s gotten away with something because Karl’s going to protect the ball. Simple as that.

“Karl, I think, said it right. If he wanted to really get him, he would have really got him. ... Nash led with his face.”

Overall, it was the Laker opinion that Malone had the right to fend off Nash’s advance, an action that cost Malone the 11th game of a career in its 19th season and Nash a few ounces of blood.

Malone, who for the infraction in Thursday’s victory was suspended by the league for Sunday’s game against the Utah Jazz, spent his day in Newport Beach, watching his children play youth basketball, then taking his wife, Kay, to an early-evening movie.

Malone, however, found the line too long, returned home and watched the game.

An hour before the start, Shaquille O’Neal wore a snug white jersey with Malone’s No. 11 in the locker room and spoke of Malone’s impact through 19 games.

“It’s fun having him out there, having another dog out there,” O’Neal said. “He’s a phenomenal person, a phenomenal player.”

If O’Neal had had Malone on his wing for a few more years, O’Neal laughed and said, “I’d have six [championships] by now. I wouldn’t be talking to you guys. ... I’d have a statue, instead of Wayne Gretzky. I’d have my extension by now. It would be a lot different. A lot different for him too.”

O’Neal claimed he would finish his career with Malone ... in five years. So, Malone would retire at 45?

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s what he told me.”

In the pre-game warm-up, O’Neal and Gary Payton wore Malone’s jerseys. If one of his white jerseys is stretched out, Malone will know why. When the overhead monitor captured the image of Payton and O’Neal side by side, “Malone” and “11” on their backs, during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the crowd roared at the sight.

“We have four legitimate angry dogs on the team,” O’Neal said. “On any given night, any one of the Fantizzle Fizzle could go off.”

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Under intense questioning over why he would not reveal his starter at power forward 90 minutes before the game (It would be Slava Medvedenko), Jackson admitted it was not to gain an advantage over the opponent.

“It’s to have an advantage over you,” he said, smiling, to the gathered reporters.

*

Mark Madsen watched the early game Sunday from the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bench, his sixth consecutive miss because of an injured back.

Still, he said, it was good to be back in Los Angeles and back at Staples Center for the first time since leaving the Lakers after last season.

“I was so fortunate to come into a wonderful situation with the Lakers,” he said after Minnesota’s victory. “It was fun seeing a lot of the security guards, the ushers, everyone.”

The Lakers play host to the Timberwolves on Jan. 30.