Text messages from press row ...

The argument that LeBron James is a more qualified MVP candidate than Kobe Bryant based solely on their individual statistics would carry more weight if the NBA played a balanced schedule. . . .

But it doesn’t. . . .

The Cleveland Cavaliers play 52 games against the East. . . .

The Lakers play 30. . . .

Kevin Garnett, seemingly an MVP shoo-in before his abdominal injury, says Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce is his MVP choice. . . .

Pierce is a longshot, but if he did carry the vote, the former Inglewood High star would be the first player from a Southland high school to win the award. . . .

If Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets continue their winning streak for three more weeks -- don’t bet on it -- they’ll be shooting to match the Lakers’ record of 33 consecutive victories April 6 at Staples Center against the Clippers. . . .

Stanford has played California, Arizona has played Arizona State and Washington has played Washington State, but USC has never played UCLA in the Pacific 10 Conference tournament. . . .

Until tonight. . . .

This time, after UCLA’s Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Lorenzo Mata-Real missed most of the second half of USC’s victory at Pauley Pavilion in January and USC’s Daniel Hackett missed UCLA’s victory at the Galen Center in February, both teams should be at full strength on a neutral court. . . .

Supporting what he already knew in his heart -- that Arizona State was victimized by a questionable late call Thursday against USC -- Sun Devils Coach Herb Sendek told reporters shortly after the final horn, “I’m getting a number of text messages from around the country -- and my enemies don’t text me.” . . .

Josh Shipp and UCLA, perhaps weary of hearing how they’d lucked into a pair of victories last week, needed no help in crushing Cal. . . .

Ben Howland not only is the first UCLA coach since John Wooden to win three consecutive Pac-10 titles, he is only the second to win three, period. . . .

Interestingly, the only Bruins coach in the post-Wooden era who didn’t win a conference title was the one UCLA kept trying to bring back: Larry Brown. . . .

Twenty-five years ago next Tuesday, North Carolina State kick-started its improbable run to the NCAA championship with a double-overtime, first-round victory over Pepperdine. . . .

For years afterward, Jim Harrick, Pepperdine’s coach at the time, would tell anyone who would listen, “I made Jim Valvano.” . . .

Curmudgeonly CBS commentator and former Wake Forest basketball player Billy Packer doesn’t own a computer or a cellphone, fark.com surmises, “because those devices might tell him there are conferences other than the ACC.” . . .

According to the commercials, “Nothing intimidates like Kings hockey.” . . .

According to the NHL standings, nothing could be further from the truth. . . .

Steve Garvey joined a group of current and former obesity-fighting athletes on Capitol Hill this week in helping former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker lobby Congress for more funding for physical education in schools. . . .

Perhaps they should lobby the 13 major league teams offering all-you-can-eat packages this season. . . .

The Angels say they have no plans to join the trend, which should please author Neal Pollack, who sat in the Dodgers’ all-you-can-eat section last year and told USA Today it was “a gluttonous orgy of stupidity.” . . .

When the Dodgers play the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition March 29 at the Coliseum, the left-field foul pole will be situated 200 feet from home plate. . . .

At Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Va., home of the Little League World Series, the foul poles are anchored 225 feet from home plate. . . .

Two of Howie Long’s three sons could be first-round draft picks over the next few months, Chris in football and Kyle in baseball. . . .

Howie Jr. reportedly is headed to Virginia to play lacrosse. . . .

After Abby Wambach and the U.S. women’s soccer team defeated Denmark this week in Portugal to win the Algarve Cup for the sixth time, most U.S. sports fans probably asked themselves, “What’s the Algarve Cup?” . . .

If Pete Sampras still holds his own against Roger Federer, why is he retired?

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