Jackson May Stay Behind

Phil Jackson said Sunday he was not sure he would accompany the Lakers to Chicago today because he continues to experience discomfort from a kidney stone that has not passed.

Jackson, who in two weeks has undergone two sound-wave procedures to break down the stone, appeared wrung out before and after Sunday afternoon’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He apparently did not sleep well Saturday night and complained Sunday of back pain he assumed was related to the ailment. Club officials have said only one fragment remains.

If he does not fly on the charter today, Jackson said, he would catch up to the team Tuesday. The Lakers play the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at the start of a four-game trip that continues through Detroit, Minnesota and Milwaukee.

“I will travel,” he said. “If not [today], then Tuesday.”

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Jackson once joked his anesthesiologist called his kidney stone “Kobe,” because it wouldn’t pass. Kobe Bryant, referencing Jackson’s monthlong instructions for him to score, said the kidney stone probably did not have a coach telling it not to pass.

They should worry less about the kidney stone’s playmaking skills and more about its perimeter defense. The Lakers rank last in the league in three-point percentage allowed, a deficiency they’ll apparently carry from training camp to the playoffs.

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Mark Madsen, who did not commit a foul in 31 minutes while defending Kevin Garnett on Friday night, had two in his first 7 1/2 minutes Sunday. He finished with four in 22 minutes and did not score, but took seven rebounds and did solid defensive work on Derrick Coleman.

The Lakers would like Madsen to balance his aggressiveness with his fouling conscience, which would enable him to stay on the floor. It is particularly critical with Samaki Walker recovering from a sprained right ankle and for the moment less suited for power forward than center.

In the matter of pacing himself, Madsen went to the master for advice.

“I try to tell him how to use his energy better,” Robert Horry said. “He sometimes uses energy for no good reason.”

The Lakers are 7-0 with Madsen as a starter.

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The Lakers had some conversations about Tyrone Hill when Cleveland released the power forward but again the intricacies of the triangle offense ultimately ended their interest.

“There wasn’t a lot he could learn in a matter of two months to help us,” Jackson said.

Hill signed with the 76ers.