Malone Is Better but Not Ready

Laker forward Karl Malone took a big step forward Tuesday on his sprained right knee.

“He says he’s pain free,” said his coach, Phil Jackson.

But the biggest step, the one that takes Malone back onto the court, apparently will be delayed beyond Friday’s game against the SuperSonics in Seattle.

“We’re not anticipating that Friday is a game that he’ll be back,” Jackson said. “He still feels a little bit of instability, lack of movement. That’s obviously something that can’t be measured by a doctor.”

Malone joined preliminary drills at practice, running straight ahead, but is not ready to make sharp lateral cuts. Once formal practice began, Malone headed for the sideline to continue his rehabilitation.

The 40-year-old forward sprained his medial collateral ligament Dec. 21 when Phoenix forward Scott Williams inadvertently fell on Malone.

If Malone sits out Friday’s game, it will be the fourth in a row, doubling the previous number of consecutive games he has missed because of injury.

Malone has said that being a spectator is agony for him but Jackson isn’t concerned that his power forward will try to come back too soon.

“He’s never been hurt before in a major way,” Jackson said. “He’ll be sound enough to know when it’s right.”

*

Everybody likes being off for the holidays -- except Jackson.

His team played Christmas Day, but that was one of only two games the Lakers have over a nine-day span ending Friday. Some might see such a respite as a chance to sooth aching bones, grab a rare opportunity in the middle of a season for rest and tune a Laker machine that seems incapable of staying in gear.

“I think we’ve had enough of a break,” Jackson said after practice. “We should just be playing ball. I thought we were real rusty today, after having a day off [the team didn’t practice Monday].

“Between games, you really have to activate the nervous system and get yourself sharp.”

*

The Lakers had better savor their rest. They will kick off the new year with four consecutive road games, although one of them is that in name only, since it’s against the Clippers at Staples Center. After playing the SuperSonics and Clippers, the Laker go to Minnesota and Denver for back-to-back games.