Kobe Bryant

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant suffered a broken finger on his shooting hand in Friday's win over the Timberwolves. He wore a splint on his index finger in the second half of the Lakers' 11th straight victory. He hurt himself reaching for a pass late in the first quarter, and he played through it briefly before leaving in the second quarter to get X-rays. It's not his first avulsion fracture, in which a small piece of bone tears away near a ligament or tendon. Bryant started as the Lakers, an NBA-best 18-3 after playing 17 of their first 21 games at home, began a five-game trip Saturday in Utah.

ORLANDO, Fla. - -Kobe Bryant had that one hole in his impressive resume, that one unanswered question everyone seemingly held against him. Sure, he had three NBA championship rings. But could he win one without Shaquille O'Neal? We finally got our answer Sunday night. Bryant coolly and efficiently led his Lakers past the not-ready-for-prime-time Orlando Magic, 99-86, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, giving Los Angeles its 15th NBA title. Phil Jackson won his record-breaking 10th NBA title as a coach, surpassing the nine Boston Celtics legend Red Auerbach won from 1950 to 1966.

Jazz@Lakers 10:30 p.m. [TNT] Kobe Bryant (left) and the Los Angeles Lakers can finish off Utah in Game 5. The problem the Jazz created by winning Game 3 was sort of like what you hear about shooting a bear: Be careful, because sometimes all that does is make him mad.

1 Let it fly: For Jack McClinton (left), the "I" in NIT is an invitation to put it up from the parking lot (Miami-Providence, 7 p.m., ESPN2). 2 Nationality: All three of you Nationals fans reading this might want to watch your team's exhibition game against the Marlins (7 p.m., MASN). 3 Small consolation: Georgetown, the former NCAA lock, takes its disappointment to the NIT (vs. Baylor, 9 p.m., ESPN2). 4 Dialing it up: Dwyane Wade is making a run at LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for MVP. He tries to pad his resume as the Heat meets the Celtics (7 p.m., ESPN)

1 It's showtime: The Lakers (at left, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant) make their one visit this season to face the Wizards (7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet). Unless you think they'll meet in the NBA Finals. 2 Almost done: Ball State has to beat Buffalo (8 p.m., ESPN2) in the MAC title game, then win its bowl appearance for a non-BCS undefeated season. 3 Starting strong: It's an early-season test for No. 6 Calvert Hall and No. 8 Milford Mill in boys basketball with a 6:30 p.m. game at the Cardinals' gym. 4 It's big: Sherwood and Linganore meet at M&T Bank Stadium for the football title for the state's biggest schools, 4A, and you can watch on TV if you don't want to head downtown (7:30 p.m., CN8)

ORLANDO, Fla. - There was a big personality waiting to leap out of Michael Phelps. He was just waiting for someone to ask the right questions after he waved to a crowd of fans in a celebratory parade hosted by Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom yesterday. Phelps, of Rodgers Forge, chatted with a row of television reporters. He gave rehearsed answers to the same tired questions. "Has the reality of eight gold medals sunk in yet?" several reporters asked. "When the eighth happened, I had to realize what really happened," said Phelps, who has traveled to Portugal, London and New York in the past eight days.