Text messages from press row ...

Lakers fans will have their hearts in their throats, their fingers crossed and their eyes on Kobe Bryant’s mangled right pinkie tonight when Phil Jackson’s banged-up crew opens its two-month stretch run to the playoffs. . . .

They can only hope Pau Gasol plays as well in his Staples Center debut for the Lakers as he did in his last visit with the Memphis Grizzlies. . . .

In a 100-99 Grizzlies loss Jan. 13, the night Andrew Bynum was injured, Gasol had 21 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists and four blocked shots. . . .

Two and a half weeks later, he was traded to the Lakers. . . .

While Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics was sidelined because of an abdominal strain, former USC forward Brian Scalabrine took his place in the starting lineup and averaged about two points and two rebounds a game. . . .

Somehow, the Celtics still won seven of nine games. . . .

It’s a bird! . . .

It’s a plane! . . .

It’s cape-wearing, imagination-stretching Dwight Howard resuscitating the long-dormant NBA slam-dunk contest in a single bound! . . .

If Oscar De La Hoya’s proposed May 3 bout against Steve Forbes at the Home Depot Center in Carson is truly a “fight for the fans,” as billed, shouldn’t it be telecast over the air and not on a subscription cable network? . . .

Or should it be called “a fight for the fans with HBO”? . . .

Speaking of HBO, comedian Bill Maher’s “new rules” last week included this one, voiced over a close-up photo of embattled pitcher Roger Clemens, “You can’t deny you did steroids if your head is wider than it is tall.” . . .

Speaking of bulbous craniums, Barry Bonds remains unemployed. . . .

Perhaps baseball executives misremembered his phone number. . . .

Phil Mickelson’s two-stroke victory over Jeff Quinney on Sunday at Riviera put the left-hander in exclusive company, making him only the third player to win all four PGA Tour events held regularly in California. . . .

Before Mickelson, only Billy Casper and Johnny Miller could claim victories at the L.A., Pebble Beach, San Diego and Bob Hope desert tournaments. . . .

Eleven players have won three of the Cali Four, among them Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. . . .

Tiger Woods has won the Buick Open six times and won at Pebble Beach in 2000, but he has never played the Hope or won the L.A. Open. . . .

USC versus UCLA was U-G-L-Y. . . .

UCLA’s Russell Westbrook missed nine of 11 shots but stuck to O.J. Mayo “like the paparazzi on Britney,” as ESPN’s Stan Verrett noted. . . .

Mayo had 10 turnovers. . . .

Or, as Britney sang, “Oops! . . . I did it again.” . . .

Before unexpectedly resigning this month, Bob Knight was believed to be the last active coach to have matched sideline wits with John Wooden. . . .

Wooden was 62 and Knight 32 on March 24, 1973, when reserve guard Tommy Curtis scored 22 points to help UCLA to a 70-59 victory over Indiana in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. . . .

Says Wooden, asked his recollections, “I know Bob complained about a charging call against his center; it would have been [Bill] Walton’s third or fourth foul, so he was quite upset. I do remember that.” . . .

Two nights later, in the tournament’s first Monday night finale, Walton scored 44 points and UCLA routed Memphis State, 87-66, for its seventh consecutive NCAA title and the 75th victory in its 88-game winning streak. . . .

Apologies to former College of the Canyons basketball coach Lee Smelser, who was Stan Love’s varsity coach at Inglewood Morningside High in the 1960s. . . .

Love, father of UCLA freshman Kevin Love, played half a season for Jim Harrick on the junior varsity as a sophomore before being called up to the varsity. . . .

Oscar Robertson will sign his books, “The Big O” and “The Art of Basketball,” Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Eso Won Books in Leimert Park. . . .

Greeting at the finish Sunday at Daytona: Hello, Newman. . . .

The Busch Push from teammate Kurt Busch sending Ryan Newman to victory at the Daytona 500 was reminiscent of the Bush Push from teammate Reggie Bush landing Matt Leinart in the end zone at Notre Dame. . . .

Only this one was within the rules.

--

jerome.crowe@latimes.com