Karl Malone's ankle needs some rest.
It's just not going to get it.As of Monday morning's Utah Jazz practice, the Mailman's ankle was a little improved over Saturday, when he wrapped it up and proceeded to total 31 points and nine rebounds in a victory over Portland.
The opponent here Tuesday is the Kings, and Malone made the trip, which probably means he'll play.
"The ideal situation would be to take two or three weeks off, don't do anything," Malone said. "But that's not an option, as far as I'm concerned."
Perhaps if the Jazz had a five- or six-game lead over the second-place San Antonio Spurs in the Midwest Division, instead of the slim 11/2-game advantage they possess, the Mailman might consider some rest. As it is, he is more worried about homecourt advantage in May than his ailing right ankle.
"When you're trying to jockey for position for the playoffs, it's tough," he said.
Malone can't even see any breaks on the Jazz's immediate schedule. After Sacramento tonight the Jazz return home for a game Wednesday night against the Mavericks in the Delta Center. Then there's the Kings again, Friday night in Salt Lake City, and on Saturday the Jazz leave town for a five-games-in-eight-days Eastern swing.
"It's a tough stretch," Malone said. "And any time you go out to play, (the ankle) is going to be a little worse."
Besides the wear-and-tear of game play, there's also the pain experienced from airline flight. Apparently the pressure inside an airplane cabin causes a sprained ankle to swell and hurt even more than usual.
Jazz center James Donaldson, hobbled recently by a sprained arch, ran a little in practice Monday and is also listed as questionable against the Kings.
As seems to happen every year, the NBA regular season is turning into a campaign of attrition, a campaign that may be decided by which team best weathers the injuries.
"That's just part of it," Sloan said, resignedly. "It's a mental game, and some guys don't know how to deal with themselves."
The Kings, meanwhile, who started out the season so hopefully, are now just trying to regroup and stay in playoff contention. They ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday with a home victory over Charlotte, and they are 31/2 games ahead of Denver for the eighth playoff spot.
Kings coach Garry St. Jean made some personnel changes to end his team's skid. He didn't play Lionel Simmons at all, played Alaa Abdelnaby sparingly and gave big minutes to center Duane Causwell and guard Randy Brown.
Sacramento has had problems with good teams this season; it is 8-15 against opponents with records better than .500. And they're 5-8 against the Midwest Division.
The Kings have fallen to 29-27, but that's still their best record at the 56-game mark in 15 years.
GAME NOTES: Kings point guard Spud Webb has been in and out of the lineup the past two weeks with a strained groin . . . All-Star Game MVP Mitch Richmond has slumped in the last eight games, shooting just 36.6 percent in that stretch.