To know list: 6 playmates for Mike and Mrs. Piazza.(Know It All)

1 GOOD AND PLENTY

Second half fun

There are plenty of playoff races and good young players to watch in the NBA's second half (see page 24), but for those of you more interested in the juicier story lines, there will be a lot to watch, too.

Karl Malone. In or out, buddy? Malone has flirted with returning to just about every championship contender, but heading into the second half stretch, a decision is nigh. Still no ring, still 1,459 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, still red-faced from the "hunting little Mexican girls" accusation ... is this how Malone wants to go out?

Kobe Bryant. The Lakers handled themselves nicely in the absence of Bryant--Lamar Odom scored and rebounded, Chucky Atkins shot and Luke Walton actually got to play. Bryant likes to think his teammates flock to him the way squirrels flocked to St. Francis of Assissi. Not quite. Perhaps the time away from the floor will make Bryant realize that the Lakers have several other NBA players on the roster, and he might want to use them.

The Pistons. Anyone awake here? The team sleepwalked through the first half, and there's no sign of a wakeup call. Is it the nagging of Larry Brown? Is it the subpar showing of Rasheed Wallace? Is it the gimpy bench? Is it all, somehow. Darko's fault?

No. 6. The sixth seed in the East will be where it's at, most likely for the Bulls, Wizards, Magic or Pacers. That's because No. 3 in the East goes to the Atlantic "champions," who could be below .500. In that scenario, the No. 6 seed actually would get home-court advantage. Get ready some odd late-season tanking.