Malone’s Status Is Unclear

Karl Malone’s sprained right knee was examined Sunday and found to be improved, though team officials were unwilling to predict when Malone would return to the floor.

Malone, who sprained his medial collateral ligament Dec. 21, said Saturday that he hoped to play Friday against the Seattle SuperSonics, optimism that was shared by Coach Phil Jackson.

Team physician Steve Lombardo, who detected improvement, apparently tempered everyone’s enthusiasm.

“As of today,” Laker spokesperson John Black said, “it would be unlikely he’d be able to play by [Friday].”

Malone attended Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics.

Late in the first quarter, he put on his Laker blues -- the 1965-66 retro uniforms -- down to the blue sweatbands, ducked through the tunnel at Staples Center and took a seat on the bench between Jamal Sampson and Slava Medvedenko. Cameras found him a few seconds later, and the crowd cheered his image on the overhead monitor.

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By his own estimate, Rick Fox is nearly two weeks from being game-ready, and then the decisions come.

Devean George has played reasonably well as a starter, averaging 11 points and shooting 51.3%. On Sunday morning, his shooting percentage ranked fifth in the league.

Bryon Russell is 12th in three-point shooting, a determined defender and likable in the locker room. He would seem to have nothing to fear by the Jan. 10 deadline, on which day all contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

Which leaves Fox, eight months after surgery, at 34, running 50-some miles a week, and hoping to help.

Jackson said Sunday he hadn’t yet considered how Fox would fit in the small-forward rotation, which often also includes Kobe Bryant. Jackson generally praised the work of George and yet allowed for the fact that Fox might be better-suited to start, considering his age and physical condition.

“We don’t know exactly,” he said. “He has a new tendon. It’s not like it’s an old injury, like a knee that’s arthritic that you have to keep warmed up and loose. But regardless, you have a guy who’s 34 and probably feels more comfortable starting a basketball game.”

Fox said recently he’d had a vague hope of playing Jan. 9 against the Atlanta Hawks, and Jackson said, “I think we can make a decision by that time.”

It will help that the Lakers won’t play until Friday and, presumably, could have two more practice days next week.

“He’s got to prove to us that -- I mean, you hate to say [prove], here’s a guy who was a captain, a member of all three championship teams, that he has to prove anything,” Jackson said. “But we [have] good players at that position -- Russell and George. He just has to show that he belongs in there and is ready to play. That’s just another step.”

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Shaquille O’Neal’s mother, Lucille, sat courtside Sunday night in O’Neal’s seats across from the Laker bench. In the second quarter, Gary Payton wandered past, smiled at her, said, “Hey, Momma,” and then drew a foul at the basket.... Horace Grant went to Staples Center early, shot extra before many of the other Lakers arrived, then made four of his first six field-goal attempts. He scored a season-high 10 points.... Along with the blue uniforms, the Lakers received T-shirts with the slogans, “First and Finest West Coast Team,” a motto from 30 years ago.