Malone slapped with T — during Jr. Jazz game

Karl Malone got a feel recently for what Jazz coach Jerry Sloan goes through every day. Not quite the same level, though: Malone was coaching his daughter's Junior Jazz team.

"There was a lot of pressure on me, because they (were) undefeated. And the guy that was the coach had to go out of town," Malone said. "He said, 'Hey, we're undefeated; I want to be undefeated when (I) come back.' "

Malone's only disappointment of the experience: "The (ref) called a tech on me," he said. "For no reason."

GO FIGURE: There was a day Malone never thought he would say what he did this week, but when he did, it was with unabashed sincerity.

And that was this: "I like every guy that I'm playing with on this team. And I've never said that before."

The reason he could say that, according to Malone: his relationship with longtime teammate Greg Ostertag.

Malone has been one of Ostertag's harshest critics over the years, but it seems that in this case time really does heal some wounds.

"We're as close as we've ever been. And I like that," Malone said of he and Ostertag, the Jazz's starting center. "I truly like (the) relationship me and him have together. It used to be a burden on me. Now, it's a great relationship that we have."

SONICS FINED: Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan and center Jerome James were fined by the NBA on Friday for criticizing the referees following a loss at Utah earlier this week.

McMillan was fined $7,500 and James was fined $5,000 by NBA vice president Stu Jackson.

Many of the Sonics complained about the officiating following the 94-83 loss Wednesday night that snapped Seattle's five-game winning streak. Seattle was called for 29 fouls to Utah's 23, while the Jazz attempted 38 free throws to the Sonics' 25.

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