<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">EL SEGUNDO -- This was supposed to be the season Lakers center Chris Mihm finally got a taste of how the NBA's other half lives, leaving Cleveland and Boston behind to sign with a franchise for which nothing short of a championship is expected. As fate would have it, the Celtics already have clinched a playoff spot, the Cavaliers are close to clinching, and Mihm's Lakers are playing for little -- other than pride and pingpong balls -- with four games left in the season. "That wasn't even a thought in my mind coming here," Mihm said. "But that's the way it goes. ... You never know what's going to happen and what the season's going to throw your way. So we've just got to take this one, take our lumps and learn from it." Although the Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention last week, Mihm plans to return from the injured list for tonight's game against Sacramento and finish the season on the floor and in the starting lineup. Mihm sprained his right ankle in the Lakers' loss April 2 to San Antonio and was placed on the injured list three days later. He said Thursday he expects to be activated today, but the Lakers need to figure out whose spot Mihm will take. "I started the season and, good or bad, I want to put some closure on it," Mihm said. "I don't want to have the ankle injury be the end of this season for me." After coming to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade from Boston last August, Mihm has had his best season as a pro, averaging 9.6 points and 6.7 rebounds, starting 71 games and playing more minutes than any time in his career. Yet much of what Mihm was hoping to find went missing. The Lakers will not be in the playoffs for first time since 1994, and Mihm saw Rudy Tomjanovich resign as coach at midseason. He now has played for eight coaches in the NBA.</div> Source
