LOS ANGELES (AP) The Lakers placed Kareem Rush on the injured list Tuesday because of a bone bruise in his right foot, meaning the second-year guard must miss a minimum of five games.

Rush is averaging 6.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 17.3 minutes in 68 games _ 15 of them starts. He has scored in double figures 15 times, including a career-high 30 points in a 103-83 loss at Sacramento on Jan. 16.

``I just need some rest before the playoffs,'' Rush said before the Lakers played the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night. ``There's really no treatment for making it better. Hopefully, time is the cure.''

Rush said his foot has been bothering him for some time.

``We need him to take a break _ it's not improving,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``It's getting a little worse. We thought a little rest might help.''

The Lakers didn't immediately replace Rush on their active roster, but Jackson expressed hope that backup forward-center Horace Grant will be ready to play well before the end of the regular season.

Grant was placed on the injured list March 19 after having his ailing right hip examined in Boston. He decided to put off surgery until after the season and has been involved in a therapy and rehabilitation program.

``It feels so, so much better,'' Grant said. ``I've been doing some drills, pain-free. I'm very optimistic.

Grant, averaging 4.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 55 games, said he hopes to return April 9 against Memphis. If that happens, he'd be active for four regular-season games.

Rick Fox, team captain, three-time NBA champion, keeper of locker-room peace and holder of a guaranteed contract through next season, said Monday he would consider retiring this summer if the Lakers lose their coach and too many of their central players.

Already, the Lakers have suspended contract negotiations with Coach Phil Jackson, who has said the odds of his returning to the club were "50-50."

Additionally, on a roster of 14 players, eight ? including Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Derek Fisher ? could leave as free agents. Bryant has said he will test the market, many in the organization expect Payton to leave, and Malone, 41, recently said he might retire this summer.

"With all the uncertainty of our team up in the air, I want to be on a Phil Jackson team, I want to be playing for Dr. Buss and the Lakers, and I want to be working with Kobe and [Shaquille O'Neal], even if they can't get along at times," Fox said. "That's all I've known and that's all I love?. I'll make my decision on whatever everyone else does."

Karl Malone finally got the chance to face the Utah Jazz, and beating the team he played with for 18 seasons didn't feel so good.

``It was kind of bittersweet,'' Malone said. ``They're friends _ friends for life.''

Malone had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and needed an X-ray on his hand after getting knocked around in the Los Angeles Lakers' 91-84 win over the Jazz Sunday.

Malone, the NBA's second-leading career scorer, missed the Lakers' first game against Utah because of a suspension and the last two due to a knee injury that caused him to miss 39 games.

On Sunday, Malone shot 5-of-10 and 9-of-12 from the foul line while playing 34 minutes. And he was elbowed in his shooting hand, banged the knee he injured in December and got hit in the head. X-rays on the hand were negative.

``We have all the respect in the world for Karl, and we wish him the best of luck whatever he does because of what he gave us for the time that he was with us,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. ``I'm happy for him to have a chance to be on a great team.''

In other games, it was: Memphis 94, Toronto 88; Dallas 118, Orlando 88; Houston 111, Milwaukee 107, OT; Indiana 87, Miami 80; Boston 89, Philadelphia 65; and Golden State 105, L.A. Clippers 77.

Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the last two minutes; Gary Payton added 17 points, and Shaquille O'Neal had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers (50-23), who reached 50 wins for the eighth straight season not counting 1998-99 campaign, shortened to 50 games because of labor problems.

The Lakers trail Sacramento, 100-92 winners over the Washington Wizards, by two games for first in the Western Conference. The Jazz are tied with Portland for the final spot.

Raja Bell scored 16 of his career-high 26 points in the fourth quarter for the Jazz (38-36), who lost for just the third time in 10 games.

Mavericks 118, Magic 88

At Orlando, Fla., Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and nine rebounds as Dallas handed the Magic, playing without Tracy McGrady, their eighth straight loss.

Rookie Josh Howard tied a season high with 19 points, and added 12 rebounds and five assists before fouling out, while Steve Nash had 12 points and 11 assists for Dallas, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Grizzlies 94, Raptors 88

At Toronto, Pau Gasol had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and Jason Williams scored eight points in the last three minutes to lead Memphis to its fifth straight win.

The Grizzlies clinched the first playoff berth in the franchise's nine-year history.

Vince Carter scored 16 points on 6-for-22 shooting as Toronto lost its fourth straight.

Rockets 111, Bucks 107, OT

At Milwaukee, Yao Ming finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, and Houston overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat the Bucks in overtime.

Steve Francis finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Maurice Taylor and Cuttino Mobley each added 19 points for Houston.

Michael Redd had 36 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for the Bucks, while Joe Smith scored a season-high 25 points.

Pacers 87, Heat 80

At Indianapolis, Jermaine O'Neal returned after missing two games with a knee injury and had 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead Indiana over Miami.

Caron Butler, Eddie Jones and Dwyane Wade each scored 14 points for the Heat, which had their seven-game winning streak end.

Celtics 89, 76ers 65

At Boston, Philadelphia set franchise records for fewest points in a half and in three quarters in a loss.

Another sign of Philadelphia's futility: it missed 65 shots while Boston took only 77.

The Celtics were led by Mark Blount, Ricky Davis and Jiri Welsch with 13 points each.

Kenny Thomas had 18 points for Philadelphia, which was playing without Allen Iverson for the fifth straight game.

Kings 100, Wizards 92

At Sacramento, Calif., Peja Stojakovic had 29 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Kings snap a two-game losing streak.

Chris Webber made four straight free throws in the final 41 seconds to hold off the Wizards. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Warriors 105, Clippers 77

At Oakland, Calif., Erick Dampier had 16 points and a career-high 25 rebounds to lead Golden State to its seventh straight win, the Warriors' longest streak since they won eight in a row April 1994.

Jason Richardson scored 20 points and rookie guard Mickael Pietrus added 17 as the Warriors handed the Clippers their eighth straight loss.

Corey Maggette led Los Angeles with 21 points.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) While Karl Malone was relieved to find out he didn't break his shooting hand when he accidentally struck Los Angeles Lakers teammate Rick Fox in the mouth, he made another discovery - the hand had been broken before.

That information left the second-leading career scorer in NBA history believing he played the 2001-02 season with the previous injury.

X-rays of Malone's hand following Sunday night's 91-84 victory over the Utah Jazz were negative, but that was only part of the story.

``It showed that my hand had been broken before - I didn't know it,'' Malone said.

Looking back, though, the 40-year-old star didn't sound surprised.

``I couldn't shake, do a firm handshake,'' Malone said of two years ago, when he averaged 22.4 points while playing in 80 of a possible 82 games for the Jazz.

``You have injuries that bother you when you're not playing,'' he said. ``When that horn blows, you don't feel it.''

Malone had 19 points and 13 rebounds Sunday night in his first game ever against Utah. He played 18 seasons for the Jazz before joining the Lakers as a free agent last summer.

Playing his ninth game since being sidelined nearly three months with a torn knee ligament - the first serious injury of his NBA career - Malone was on the floor at the end despite banging the knee he injured in December; injuring his shooting hand, and getting whacked in the head.

He said he wasn't aware of his hand injury until the final minutes.

``Kind of amazing - during the game, you don't feel it,'' he said. ``I looked down and it was swollen. I think Rick was just in the wrong place. He's fine, I think.''

Malone remembers going for a rebound in the third quarter when he accidentally hit Fox in the face.

``That was unfortunate, that my head got in the way of his fist,'' Fox said with a grin. ``I was just passing through the lane looking to box somebody out. It's a little sore today.''

With that, Fox called out to Malone, saying: ``Karl, my jaw broke your hand? I've got a tough chin.''

Malone said he felt fine although his hand was still a bit swollen Monday. He said he planned to see a private physician for a second opinion, but added: ``I know myself pretty well. I'm not worried about it a lot right now. With my knee, I was. With my hand, I'm not.''

Malone has said he was misdiagnosed after injuring his knee Dec. 21. At first, the thought was he would be sidelined a matter of days or weeks. As it turned out, he missed 39 games before returning to action March 12.

The Lakers are 26-7 when he's played.

Malone went through a full practice Monday, and spoke with reporters while working out afterward on an elliptical fitness crosstrainer - similar to a stairmaster.

``I did what my teammates did (in practice), but that wasn't enough,'' he said.

The Lakers (50-23), who trail the Western Conference-leading Sacramento Kings by two games with nine remaining, go for their ninth straight victory Tuesday night against New Orleans.

The Hornets (37-36) have lost four of their last five games, and will play without their top two scorers - Baron Davis (sprained ankle) and Jamal Mashburn (knee injury).

``Sometimes those are the most dangerous teams to play - they come out with nothing to lose,'' Malone said.

EAGLE, Colo. (AP) A pretrial hearing set for Friday in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case was canceled because of scheduling conflicts, a state courts spokeswoman said Monday.

The next hearing is expected April 26-28.

Judge Terry Ruckriegle last week scheduled a hearing to continue arguments on the defense's request to throw out certain evidence, including a T-shirt stained with the alleged victim's blood and tape-recorded statements that Bryant made to investigators the night after the alleged attack last summer.

Also expected to continue during the hearing was witness testimony on the sexual history of the alleged victim.

If convicted of felony sexual assault, the Los Angeles Lakers' guard faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation. Bryant has said he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old woman last June at the Vail-area resort where she worked.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Phil Jackson has the oft-squabbling Lakers all marching to the same drum.

A coach who employs unique methods to inspire and unite players, Jackson has added a bit of Native American tradition to the team's routine _ a drum beckoning the players to the court for practice.

``We have a drum that we call them in with in the morning, and I send different people out to drum the team in. It's a drum from a Native American tribe,'' Jackson said. ``I do it every game day.''

Maybe it's working.

The Lakers, who finally have all four of their stars healthy again, have won seven straight, including two lopsided wins in a row over top Western Conference opponents.

They beat Minnesota 90-73 Friday night after defeating Sacramento 115-91 on Wednesday.

Jackson, who grew up in North Dakota and is a student of Native American culture, explained his drum ritual.

``I usually send the assistant coaches, maybe a rookie, out to drum the team in and see what kind of beat they have,'' he said. ``There are a lot of guys who have never touched the drum.

``I do it when I think that it's time to bring it up a little bit. Today (Friday morning) there was a little more intensity in it. Sometimes we have guys that sound like they're drumming to a dirge instead of to a march or a battle call.''

The players, used to Jackson's handing out inspirational books and other such motivational moves, go along with it.

``That's his war drum,'' Kobe Bryant said. ``He says it gets your heart beating faster when you hear the drum. But you know Phil.''

Karl Malone heeds the beat.

``I guess you get what you want to get out of it, really. I was in the weight room, and I heard it, so I know what it means,'' Malone said. ``They've done it before, so you just kind of stay with the program.''

Bryant, who scored 35 points in the win over Minnesota, said the team chemistry is building now that everybody's healthy. He didn't mention the drum in that context, but possibly it played a role.

``It seemed like everybody was ready to play. I picked up some good vibes,'' he said after the decisive win over the Timberwolves.

And maybe the drum has a bonding effect. Even Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who have had a sometimes stormy relationship, seem to be getting along fine.

O'Neal, who had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Timberwolves, likes the way the team is playing, whatever the reason.

``We have been playing really good,'' he said. ``If we play like this, we should be right on our way.''

Bryant feels the same way.

``We're a confident bunch, so when we get into the playoffs, we have the confidence that we can beat anybody,'' he said.

EAGLE, Colo. (AP) Despite an impassioned plea from the accuser's family to quicken the pace, hearings in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case most likely will stretch through at least mid-May.

The 19-year-old woman accusing the NBA star of rape asked the judge Thursday to set a trial date soon to bring an end to the relentless media scrutiny and death threats she said she has endured since last summer.

``Her life is on hold and her safety is in jeopardy until this case is over,'' the woman's mother wrote in a letter accompanying a court filing seeking ``swift resolution'' of the pretrial proceedings.

But lawyers were not able to finish up closed-door hearings this week on two topics: whether the accuser's sexual history can be introduced at trial, and whether statements by Bryant and some physical evidence should be thrown out.

The hearing on the woman's sexual history will resume in late April because several subpoenaed witnesses were not available this week, state courts spokeswoman Karen Salaz said.

The hearing on whether to throw out other evidence went more slowly than anybody anticipated and will resume April 2, Salaz said.

More hearings are scheduled May 10-12. Other unresolved issues include a defense request to introduce the woman's medical and mental health history as evidence and a defense challenge of the state's rape-shield law.

That law bars defense attorneys from bringing up an alleged victim's sexual history in most cases.

Bryant, 25, is accused of attacking the woman last June at the Vail-area resort where she worked and he was a guest. He has said they had consensual sex.

If convicted of felony sexual assault, the Los Angeles Lakers guard faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation.

In the request to speed up the process, the alleged victim's attorney said she has received ``literally hundreds of phone calls and e-mails threatening either death or mutilation.''

``None of these consequences will end until after this case goes to trial,'' attorney John Clune wrote.

Clune's filing said prosecutors have no objection to setting a trial date. Prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said she could not comment.

The defense wants details of the woman's sex life admitted to back up their claim she might have been injured during sex with someone else the week of her encounter with Bryant.

Bryant's attorneys also are trying to suppress evidence including a T-shirt stained with the woman's blood and a secretly taped recording of Bryant's statements to investigators the night after the alleged attack last summer.

The woman herself testified for more than three hours Wednesday, the first time she has faced Bryant since then. She was followed on the witness stand by several acquaintances, including former co-worker Robert Pietrack, believed to be the first person she told about the alleged rape.

Most media organizations have not disclosed her identity, but her name and image have been plastered across the Internet and supermarket tabloids for months. Three men have been arrested and charged with making death threats against her.

In the letter, the woman's mother told the judge her daughter has lived in four states in the past six months and that she and her husband are constantly worried about her safety.

She had sharp criticism of the media for forcing her daughter to live on the run.

``She can't live at home, she can't live with relatives, she can't go to school or talk to her friends,'' she wrote. ``Even the defendant is able to continue living in his home and continue with his employment.''

Karl Malone is weighing retirement from pro basketball after this season, and right now the scale is tilted that way.

The prospects of pursuing or defending a championship, the possibility of becoming the league's all-time leading scorer and another season of making a seven-figure salary aren't enough to counterbalance the emotions and shifting priorities caused by the death of his mother last summer.

Yes, the games give Malone, 40, a break from the grief. But there are still those lonely moments on the freeway to and from Staples Center when he has only his thoughts.

"I ain't going to lie, I have days that I tear up a lot," Malone said. "I don't feel like I've been shortchanged, but I feel like [there are] certain things I can control now and ? I'm not going to let days slip by [with] me wanting to do something that I'm not doing because of chasing the record or chasing something else."

Colo. (AP) Despite an impassioned plea from the accuser's family to quicken the pace, hearings in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case are likely to stretch through at least mid-May.

The 19-year-old woman accusing the Los Angeles Lakers star of rape asked the judge Thursday to set a trial date soon to bring an end to the relentless media scrutiny and death threats she said she has endured since last summer.

``Her life is on hold and her safety is in jeopardy until this case is over,'' the woman's mother wrote in a letter accompanying a court filing seeking ``swift resolution'' of the pretrial proceedings.

But lawyers weren't able to finish closed-door hearings this week on two topics: whether the accuser's sexual history can be introduced at trial, and whether statements by Bryant and some physical evidence should be thrown out.

The hearing on the woman's sexual history will resume in late April because several subpoenaed witnesses weren't available this week, state courts spokeswoman Karen Salaz said.

The hearing on whether to throw out other evidence went more slowly than anybody anticipated and will resume April 2, Salaz said.

More hearings are scheduled May 10-12. Other unresolved issues include a defense request to introduce the woman's medical and mental health history as evidence and a defense challenge of the state's rape-shield law.

That law bars defense attorneys from bringing up an alleged victim's sexual history in most cases.

Bryant, 25, is accused of attacking the woman last June at the Vail-area resort where she worked and he was a guest. He has said they had consensual sex.

If convicted of felony sexual assault, Bryant faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation.

In the request to speed up the process, the alleged victim's attorney said she has received ``literally hundreds of phone calls and e-mails threatening either death or mutilation.''

``None of these consequences will end until after this case goes to trial,'' attorney John Clune wrote.

Clune's filing said prosecutors have no objection to setting a trial date. Prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said she couldn't comment.

The defense wants details of the woman's sex life admitted to back up their claim she might have been injured during sex with someone else the week of her encounter with Bryant.

Bryant's attorneys also are trying to suppress evidence, including a T-shirt stained with the woman's blood and a secretly taped recording of Bryant's statements to investigators the night after the alleged attack last summer.

The woman herself testified for more than three hours Wednesday, the first time she has faced Bryant since then. She was followed on the witness stand by several acquaintances, including former co-worker Robert Pietrack, believed to be the first person she told about the alleged rape.

Most media organizations haven't disclosed her identity, but her name and image have been plastered across the Internet and supermarket tabloids for months. Three men have been arrested and charged with making death threats against her.

In the letter, the woman's mother told the judge her daughter has lived in four states in the past six months and that she and her husband are constantly worried about her safety.

She had sharp criticism of the media for forcing her daughter to live on the run.

``She can't live at home, she can't live with relatives, she can't go to school or talk to her friends,'' she wrote. ``Even the defendant is able to continue living in his home and continue with his employment.''

EAGLE, Colo. (AP) Kobe Bryant's lawyers are trying to exclude some evidence concerning the NBA star while attempting to bring details of his accuser's sex life into the trial.

On Thursday, a day after Bryant and the 19-year-old woman accusing him of rape came face to face in court for the first time, a judge will hear a request by Bryant's lawyers to throw out evidence, including Bryant's recorded statements to investigators and a T-shirt stained with the accuser's blood.

The woman testified Wednesday at the hearing that will determine whether details about her sex life can be introduced at trial.

She answered questions for three hours during Wednesday's hearing, which was closed to reporters and the public. In the small courtroom, the witness box is located a few feet from the defendant's table.

Courts spokeswoman Karen Salaz said the woman was not expected to be in court Thursday, when more witnesses were scheduled to testify in private about her sex life.

Experts said Bryant's accuser was probably questioned about the most intimate details of her sexual history.

``The hard questions will make her quite sober as to what she's got to face and maybe put it in her mind what will happen at trial,'' said Robert Pugsley, a professor at Southwestern University School of Law.

The woman slipped into the courthouse through a fire exit as her parents entered through another door. Appearing calm and composed, she ignored a throng of reporters and photographers as she walked into the courtroom.

Bryant has said he had consensual sex last June with the woman at the Vail-area resort where she worked. If convicted, the 25-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation.

His lawyers insist the woman's sexual history should be admitted because it could show that her injuries were caused by another sex partner and that she had a ``scheme'' to have sex with Bryant and others, possibly to gain the attention of an ex-boyfriend.

Colorado's rape-shield law, like others around the country, generally bars defense attorneys from bringing up information about an alleged victim's sex life. Judges, however, can hear such testimony in private to determine whether the information is relevant and admissible as evidence.

Prosecutors fought to limit defense questioning of the woman but were rebuffed by state District Judge Terry Ruckriegle and the Colorado Supreme Court.

After Wednesday's hearing, Bryant flew back to Los Angeles for a nationally televised game, scoring 36 points in a lopsided victory over the Sacramento Kings.