LAKERS NOTEBOOK: MALONE OK FOR PRACTICE.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

SEATTLE - Karl Malone inched closer to resuming his season Thursday when his personal doctor cleared him to practice without restrictions. When he will actually rejoin the active roster remains unclear.

Malone is eyeing Monday's game at Utah, his NBA home of 18 years before he signed with the Lakers last summer. But team officials want to see how Malone's injured knee responds to a series of practices before they subject him to a game. He has been effectively ruled out of Sunday's game, and a return Monday, though possible, seems unlikely.

The Lakers have only one practice between now and the Jazz game, giving Malone scant opportunity to test his knee.

``He's going to have to have two, three, four days of practice, and demonstrate that he can practice, and then the next day be able to come in and do it again without increased swelling,'' general manager Mitch Kupchak said. ``He has another hurdle or two to clear. But this is significant, because he's being allowed back on the basketball court.

``It's a little bit earlier than was discussed three or four weeks ago, so I guess its good to say that he's ahead of the curve.''

Malone hasn't played since Phoenix's Scott Williams fell on his right knee during a game Dec. 21 at Staples Center. Team orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo diagnosed the injury as a minor sprain of the medial collateral ligament.

In late January, Malone had a second MRI conducted by Dr. Ralph Venuto, a Newport Beach-based orthopedist. That exam, according to Malone, focused on a different area below the knee and revealed a more serious tear in the ligament. Malone shut down all activity for three weeks to allow the injury time to heal properly.

Malone resumed running two weeks ago, began lateral movement last week and went through limited basketball drills Monday. Venuto examined Malone on Thursday and declared him fit for full-contact workouts.

Team officials will be monitoring not only the strength of Malone's knee, but his stamina after going nearly 11 weeks without playing basketball.

``I would suppose that one practice doesn't do it,'' Kupchak said. ``Our coach has to be comfortable with it also, as far as conditioning, etc. ... It makes no sense to push this guy after waiting eight weeks, 10 weeks (for him to recover).''

The Lakers' Fab Four - Malone, Gary Payton, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant - played only 20 games together before injuries began to wreck their dream-team vision. Only Payton has played every game. Meanwhile, the Lakers have been engulfed by controversy surrounding Bryant's pending free agency, stalled contract extensions for O'Neal and coach Phil Jackson and Payton's general discontent.

--Pain: The Lakers will be without Horace Grant for at least two more games, leaving their front court undermanned against Seattle and New Jersey.

Grant, who sat out Wednesday's game at Houston, met with Lombardo on Thursday and was diagnosed with a right hip-flexor strain and hip joint irritation. He will be reevaluated sometime next week, and a trip to the injured list has not been ruled out.

--Also: O'Neal's free-throw percentage dropped to .497 after he missed 11 of 13 free throws at Houston. He shot a career-high .622 from the line last season and seems genuinely distraight by his regression. ``I don't know. I don't know,'' O'Neal said. ``I'll figure it out one day.'' ' Devean George, who ceded his starting job to Rick Fox last month, has fallen so far out of favor that he did not enter Wednesday's game until the final 9.8 seconds. ``I want to try somebody else out at (small forward),'' said Jackson, who used a combination of Fox, Luke Walton and Bryant, with a six-minute stint by Bryon Russell.

Howard Beck, [phone]

howard.beck(at)dailynews.com

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- Howard Beck