Lakers’ Malone cleared for practice

El Segundo, Calif. — Karl Malone is close to returning to the Los Angeles Lakers after being cleared Thursday to practice without restrictions. Malone sprained a ligament in his right knee Dec. 21 and landed on the injured list for the first time in his career.

He has said he’d like to play Monday, when the Lakers visit the Utah Jazz, his former team.

Also Thursday, backup center Horace Grant was diagnosed with a strained hip flexor. He won’t play tonight against Seattle or Sunday against New Jersey, and will be reevaluated next week.

Ex-teammate says Williams pulled trigger

Somerville, N.J. — Former New Jersey Net Benoit Benjamin testified Thursday that he saw ex-teammate Jayson Williams “pull the trigger” at the moment a double-barrel shotgun discharged into the chest of a limo driver.

“Did I see Jayson pull the trigger?” Benjamin said under cross-examination by defense lawyer Billy Martin. “Yes, I saw him pull the trigger.”

Another former Net, Chris Morris, later testified that while he immediately checked dying shooting victim Costas (Gus) Christofi for a pulse, Williams yelled for someone to call his agent-lawyer.

Baker hearing set for Monday

New York — Vin Baker will get a hearing Monday to determine whether he is eligible to sign with another NBA team.

Dan Wasserman, spokesman for the players’ union, said Thursday that arbitrator Roger Kaplan would conduct the hearing in New York.

The union filed a grievance on Baker’s behalf last month after the Boston Celtics terminated the final 21/2 seasons of his contract for missing 10 games while on suspension for violating terms of his alcohol treatment program.

The NBA has issued a memo to all 29 teams barring them from signing Baker.