1.   During their brief stopover in Los Angeles before returning to the road, the Lakers hope to bolster their bench.

2.   The Bullets made a major off-season acquisition in Portland malcontent but talented point guard Rod Stickland and bolstered their bench with Harvey Grant, Tracy Murray and Lorenzo Williams.

3.   The Sonics also bolstered their bench with the signings of Dale Ellis and, for extra intrigue, ex-Laker Jerome Kersey, among others.

4.   The Atlanta Braves, trying to bolster their bench for the second half, claimed catcher Paul Bako off waivers from the Florida Marlins on Friday.

5.   The Texas Rangers, deciding to bolster their bench instead of their starting rotation, signed free agents Luis Alicea and Roberto Kelly to two-year contracts Tuesday.