Geiger

The Indiana Pacers excelled without Reggie Miller for more than a quarter. Now they might have to play without him for an entire game. Miller and Philadelphia's Matt Geiger were ejected with 1:19 left in the third quarter of the 76ers' 92-90 victory over Indiana in Game 4 Saturday. Both are subject to suspensions for Game 5 on Monday.

Today the J.A. stands for Just Asking. . . . Didn't we spend the second half of last year listening to how something had to be done to stop the skyrocketing NBA salaries? So why, as soon as the lockout ended, did the Philadelphia 76ers rush to give $54 million to Matt Geiger? Don't they realize the 11.3 points he averaged last season represented a career high? Will they ever develop a system that prevents owners from foolishly spending their money?

Laguna Beach, ranked eighth in Orange County, beat third-ranked Los Alamitos, 8-7, in overtime in the South Coast water polo tournament. Johnny Geiger scored the winning goal for the Artists in their second-round game. Tyler Wawrzynski scored two goals for the Griffins (6-2). In other tournament games: Foothill 11, University 8--Matt McPherson scored two goals in the second-round victory over University (6-3) and four in a 17-5 victory over Long Beach Poly for top-ranked Foothill (4-0).

The only temperamental actor on the set was the film's aging star: a 30-year-old ambulance with a psychedelic paint job and a broken transmission. This star has no lines but is nonetheless essential to the story. After all, what is a road picture without a car?

The Charlotte Hornets activated forward Matt Geiger, who underwent surgery six weeks ago to remove a herniated disk in his back. To make room for him, the Hornets put little-used forward Tom Chambers, 37, on the injured list because of tendinitis of the left Achilles' tendon. * The Seattle SuperSonics put guard-forward David Wingate on the injured list because of a strained muscle in his right thigh, and activated guard Greg Graham.

It's no surprise George Zidek is struggling in his first season out of UCLA, that his playing time is going down and his frustration level is rising. The surprise is that it's happening in the NBA, rather than the Continental Basketball Assn., the U.S. Basketball League or pickup games at the YMCA.

Along with being radioactive, the atomic kittens of the San Onofre nuclear power plant are now learning to cope with yet another modern invention: fame. After a Times story about how the cats were born inside the perimeter of the heavily guarded plant and tested positive for radioactive cesium and cobalt, offers of adoption began to arrive, and news outlets, including the BBC in London, began asking for pictures (of the cats) and interviews (with Southern California Edison officials).

Charlotte reserve center Matt Geiger scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, helped hold New York's Patrick Ewing to one basket in the second half and the Charlotte Hornets won their fourth consecutive game, 115-105, Wednesday night at Charlotte. Rookie center George Zidek got off to a good start against Ewing, making three hook shots and helping the Hornets to a 27-24 lead after the first quarter.

Cherokee Parks' painful welcome to the NBA was courtesy of opponent Matt Geiger, a 7-foot, 245-pound designated hitter who doubles as a center. The greeting: A tactically placed knee right in the . . . well, let's just say it hurt. A lot. "He was driving to the hoop and I didn't get set in time," said Parks, a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks. "He came up with a knee . . . and I thought, 'Thanks a million for that one.'

A new era in the NBA dawned Friday, when center Alonzo Mourning, a 25-year-old, two-time all-star considered by the Charlotte Hornets as their cornerstone, turned down their $11-million-a-year offer and forced a trade. That set up the first skirmish in a year that will see stars such as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal eligible for free agency. Miami's Pat Riley won it, sending Glen Rice, two more starters and a No. 1 pick to Charlotte for Mourning.