Karl Malone

A U.S. loss in an international basketball tournament no longer elicits shock. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Carmelo Anthony and the Americans were to meet Argentina today in the bronze-medal game at the FIBA world championships in Japan. Its gold-medal plans were wrecked in yesterday's 101-95 semifinal loss to Greece. By one measure the first U.S. loss in the tournament is a considerable improvement over two recent flops in international play. Still, it was a huge disappointment. A losing streak to the Argentines traces the Americans' fall from grace in the game that was invented in the U.S. Tomorrow will mark the fourth anniversary of a loss to Argentina at the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Karl Malone will make his movie debut as a frontier scout in the soon-to-be released movie "Rockwell.""I told the director sarcastically that I didn't want to get killed in the movie and I wanted a big role," said Malone, the Utah Jazz's All-NBA forward.Playing before a partisan crowd of 19,459, Malone played a big role in yesterday's NBA All-Star Game at the Delta Center. And as usual, he shared the limelight with Jazz teammate John Stockton, who made the critical passes, shots and a game-clinching steal in overtime, as the West All-Stars survived to win the three-hour thriller, 135-132.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- First, the crowd chanted, "We want Bird," then "Larry! Larry!" A fan held a green street sign that said, "Larry Bird Ave." The video scoreboard showed the great Boston Celtics warrior on the bench, and the crowd exploded.Larry Bird did not play in the Tournament of the Americas last night, did not play because of his chronic sore back. Naturally, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team won without him, but its 105-61 victory over Canada was a given.Bird's return next season is not.Will he or won't he?

OK, so it's hard to think of a $15 million-a-year player as a victim, but there's a pretty good chance that Juwan Howard was robbed of a spot in next week's All-Star Game in his own building. Howard, the 6-foot-9 forward of the Washington Wizards, won't show up on anyone's list of elite players, nor should he. But he has had a steady if not spectacular first half of the season that probably should have been rewarded with an All-Star berth next Sunday. It has become fashionable to bash Howard, in the midst of a long-term, big-bucks contract, for not playing up to what he's paid.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - It began with the Pistons' stunning road victory in Game 1, got better with Kobe Bryant's dramatic three-pointer that sent Game 2 to overtime, and grew more compelling with Detroit's 20-point romp in Game 3. The Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers arrive at a crossroads tonight, when the greatest mystery of these NBA Finals will be laid bare. In position to take a 3-1 lead at the Palace in Game 4, the Pistons are determined to prove that their smothering defense is doing to the Lakers what it has done all season.

Although it's true that comments were made -- mainly by Karl Malone -- during Magic Johnson's previous comeback attempt, there was one incident that probably was the major reason he walked away. It occurred during a preseason game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers in Chapel Hill, N.C., in October 1992.Johnson, who has the virus that causes AIDS, was cut during that game, and the Cavaliers scattered."I didn't know what the risks were," Cleveland center Michael Cage said.

When Karl Malone made like Scarface Capone and ripped a hole in Isiah Thomas' head, it made people in the NBA and beyond take particular notice. At least, it seemed to. But Chuck Person, among others, was apparently otherwise occupied.On Dec. 14, in Salt Lake City, Thomas, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard for Detroit, drove in for a shot and Malone, the 6-9, 256-pound forward for Utah, defended his basket by going for the ball, he later said. But he missed the ball -- the Mailman was obviously suffering an unaccountable lack of coordination at that moment -- and smashed Thomas in the forehead with his elbow, causing 40 stitches.

Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton, one of the elder statesmen of the NBA, turned 36 Thursday. In the coming months, Karl Malone (July) and Jeff Hornacek (May) will turn 35.To the younger generation of NBA players, the Jazz trio might be referred to as "old heads." But what Stockton, Malone and Hornacek have done over the second half of the season has turned heads.The Chicago Bulls have the best record in the league, but they are closely followed by a Utah team that has the league's best record since the All-Star break.

Bullets: Washington had five illegal defense violations but still managed to defeat Seattle, 99-88, Wednesday.Jazz: Karl Malone scored 24 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in Utah's 101-94 win over Indiana Wednesday.Pub Date: 3/08/96

BaseballBaltimore Orioles -- OF Donell Nixon decided to become a free agent rather than accept assignment to Class AAA Rochester Red Wings.BasketballUtah Jazz -- F Karl Malone agreed to terms on an eight-yearcontract.