NBA Roundup: Um, Kobe Is Back, Apparently

Notes from Thursday's games in the National Basketball Association ...

• I've Got A Spell On You. In case you ever think that Phil Jackson doesn't know what he's doing, just remember Thursday night. Jackson was asked by reporters on Wednesday about Kobe Bryant's relatively low scoring totals of late, and the Lakers coach responded that he didn't "think Kobe would ever be back to 100 percent" after offseason knee surgery. Just a coincidence that Jackson said that just before playing the team with the best record in the NBA? You be the judge — Kobe responded with a season-high 52 points in LA's 132-102 victory over the Jazz on Thursday. He had 30 points in the third quarter alone.

• Obviously You're Not A Golfer. Things are not running so smoothly for the 76ers. In what may be an NBA first, Allen Iverson was fined on Wednesday for not going bowling. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Iverson was the only 76er to miss a mandatory team bowling event — actually a function with corporate sponsors, premium seat-holders and season ticket-holders in, we guess, a bowling alley. "We would have liked him to be there, but he wasn't, and that was his choice,'' coach Maurice Cheeks told the paper. "I can't speculate on why he wasn't there, but he wasn't there.'' We can speculate. It was freakin' bowling. Nothing lowers your street cred like being seen trying to pick up a spare. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's Shavlik Randolph underwent surgery Thursday night after he broke his left ankle at practice in a collision with Andre Iguodala.

• Heat Exhaustion. Dwyane Wade's shot with 2 seconds remaining missed badly, as the Heat lost to the surging Pistons 87-85. It was Detroit's seventh straight win.

• We Hope We Catch The Bouquet. Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are engaged. And so, the vigil at our mailbox begins. Hmm, what shall we wear?