Beware the idleness of March Madness

Goodbye for a while . . .

If the Ides of March had historic significance to the ancient Romans, who removed Julius Caesar from office and the rest of his life that day, it has another meaning in the NBA.

With the NCAA's Selection Sunday falling neatly on the holiday this season, it's the day the NBA goes behind the moon.

For the next three weeks, until April 6, the NBA will be eclipsed by the NCAA tournament . . . before reemerging, with the playoffs a week off!

For the Lakers, whose dog days started weeks ago when the rest of the West disappeared in their rearview mirror, the problem isn't being knocked off, but dying of boredom.

So nobody should be surprised that they blew a 15-point, third-quarter lead over the desperate Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and fell six points behind in the fourth, before scoring 18 of the last 23 points to win, 107-100.

As Coach Phil Jackson said, "We felt so comfortable in the game, we didn't turn up the anxiety level high enough at that point."

He means he was thankful they stayed awake that long, and reawakened in time to do something about it.

With the Lakers at No. 1 in the Western Conference and Dallas No. 8, they would meet in the first round if the season were over.

Unfortunately, the season isn't over, as both coaches noted, pooh-poohing questions about a matchup that might not take place.

Jackson, being Phil Jackson, was still willing to discuss the Mavericks with the usual candor, from their no-longer-as-potent offense ("They're pretty much relegated to two scorers, where they used to have that third guy") to their no-longer-as-tough defense.

"They're a little bit more susceptible, I think, just due to age, in defensive speed and quickness," Jackson said.

"And I think that's maybe the difference between the team two years ago that won 67 games."

That's the great thing about Phil. Playoff matchup or no, he's always in Zing Mode.

Of course, with the Mavericks, you get indefatigable owner Mark Cuban, who has fenced publicly with Jackson for years, although they've never encountered each other in the playoffs.

With no more provocation that the regular season afforded, Jackson once complained that Cuban intimidates referees -- which Cuban says couldn't be further from the truth, if not for lack of trying.

Cuban replied that Jackson's complaint meant "I own him," and Phil was his "bucket boy."