ANTSY JAZZ EAGER TO GET BACK ON THE COURT.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

The Utah Jazz is anxious to finish the longest wait between playoff games in NBA history.

``There's a real urgency of wanting to get back out on the court,'' Karl Malone said on Monday, Utah's seventh straight idle day. ``When the East series was finally over last night, I got excited.''

And after a week of routine practices and intrasquad scrimmage games, the Jazz says its minivacation might not have been such a bad thing.

``For me, it was a chance to have a baby and recharge my batteries,'' Malone said. His wife, Kay, gave birth to a daughter named Karlee on Friday. ``It came at a great time for me personally and now I'm really ready to get at it.''

Now that the Jazz finally knows its Finals opponent will be the Chicago Bulls, it was able to begin preparing for the series in earnest Monday.

``It's good to finally work with a goal in mind,'' Chris Morris said. ``We've been kind of relaxed and laid-back because we had to be, but now we really want to start working on getting a championship.''

Coach Jerry Sloan spent a sleepless night at home Sunday after he learned the Bulls would be his team's opponent, although he didn't get his insomnia from Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen.

``It's not the other team you worry about,'' Sloan said. ``Are your teams going to block out on free throws? Are they going to rebound? Those are the things that concern me.''

Lady luck: The Bulls were expected to arrive in Salt Lake City today. During the conference finals, Dennis Rodman expressed a desire to play the Lakers in the next round because of Los Angeles' closer proximity to Las Vegas, the flamboyant star's frequent haunt.

When the Bulls played in Utah during the regular season on Feb. 4, Rodman left the Delta Center minutes after Chicago's 101-93 loss to catch a plane for the 45-minute flight to Vegas. He also spent many of the Bulls' off-days during last year's NBA Finals there.

``He can go to Las Vegas all he wants,'' Sloan said with a laugh. ``We'll be here, working hard.''

On a roll: After winning the final two games of its conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs and sweeping the Lakers in the conference finals, the Jazz is undefeated since May 9.

``We're on a roll, even though we haven't played for so long,'' Malone said. ``We've got a winning mindset right now and I hope it's not gone yet.''

Malone said the first game of the series might be the most important.

``We've got to come out and prove that we can beat anybody in our building,'' Malone said. ``We have to keep right on going from the Lakers series.''

The Jazz say its two wins over the Bulls in the regular season mean nothing. Utah and Chicago finished the year with identical 62-20 records, but Utah's series sweep gives it homecourt advantage in the Finals.

``We know those games don't mean anything,'' Morris said. ``Anything can happen in the regular season. The only games that count start Wednesday.''

A sentimental guy: Don't expect Sloan to get nostalgic over another series against Chicago, the city where he played 10 years as a hard-nosed guard with the Bulls.

``I've been dead for 20 years in Chicago,'' Sloan said. ``That team has its own heroes now.''

Sloan was in the Bulls organization as a player, scout and head coach from 1966 to 1982. He has been with Utah ever since that time, as a scout and an assistant to Frank Layden before becoming head coach in 1988.

``I've started bleeding purple,'' Sloan said. ``The Bulls are part of the past for me.''

Surprising news: The possibility of it being Michael Jordan's final game brought NBC the highest television rating in NBA history for a game not in the finals.

Sunday's Game 7 of the Bulls-Pacers series got a 20.7 overnight rating. (A ratings point represents 980,000 households.) That number is expected to fall slightly below 19 when the national ratings are released today but should easily top the 16.3 for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between New York and Boston in 1973.

``Last night's number was mind-boggling to all of us,'' NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol said Monday. ``It was an awesome surprise to come in this morning and see that number.''

Mayors make wager: Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley have made a bet on the NBA Finals.

If the Jazz beat the Bulls for the NBA championship, Corradini can gorge herself on the finest cuisine Chicago has to offer: deep-dish pizza, ribs, hot dogs, the works, courtesy of her Windy City counterpart.

If the Bulls repeat last year's win, Daley will get a chance to take an eye-popping ride on a bobsled and a free ski-jump lesson.

If Chicago wins, Daley also will get a ski weekend at the famed Snowbird ski resort.

If the Jazz win, the delicacies Mayor Corradini will receive include Eli's cheesecake and Billy Goat Tavern cheeseburgers.

Smith to have surgery: Clippers guard Charles Smith, acquired in a midseason trade with the Miami Heat along with Isaac Austin, will undergo surgery today to place a small screw in his left foot, the team said.

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PHOTO Utah coach Jerry Sloan, being interviewed following practice Monday, and his players are eager to begin the NBA Championship Series.

Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press