31.   Mourning will never be poetry.

32.   Patrick Ewing has regularly outplayed Mourning in their battles, and without Howard next to him, Mourning may be in for a frustrating season.

33.   Shocked, disbelieving, mourning faces are commonplace now.

34.   The common bond, now that Mourning is not in the mix, is none of the eight teams have a proven, dominant center.

35.   The Heat were granted a medical exemption last fall when it appeared Mourning would be lost for the season.

36.   The Knicks are smart enough to know that Mourning is content where he is.

37.   The statement was, of course, that Mourning is on the way back.

38.   This series has gone a long way toward establishing that Mourning is not ready to be a franchise player.

39.   Under the old rules, remember, Mourning would have been only a restricted free agent, giving Charlotte the right to match any offer.

40.   Unlike Elliott, Mourning is too ill to play basketball while taking medication.