DID you happen to catch Ahmad Rashad’s taped TV powwow with Sam Cassell last Sunday? Apparently ABC’s ace interviewer expended all the tough follow-up questions during his countless NBC inquisitions of His Airness.

Considering owner Glen Taylor and then-coach Flip Saunders and one or two million other league observers indicted The Re-Negotiator and Latrell Sprewell for subverting the Timberwolves’ season with simple-minded/selfish salary squawks, it was rather revealing, I submit, Ahmad didn’t come back with so much as a hollow “how?” when Cassell accused management of mishandling the contract standoff.

Why? Ahmad is not about to risk staining his well-developed reputation as a “player’s interviewer” this late in his baroque broadcasting career. Challenging Cassell, who, by the way, gets off on confrontations and probably would’ve enjoyed some comp in front of the camera, would’ve meant playing devil’s advocate, or, gasp, actually assuming a position of genuine understanding of the situation.

Equally central to Ahmad’s failure to respond is that the word “why” probably wasn’t on the cue card, TelePrompTer or notes in front of His Glibness.

So, with the Timberwolves, picked by many experts to win a title this season (or, at the very least, play for one), in danger of becoming extinct, and Cassell universally cited as a crucial culprit, what was my main myth’s topic of conversation with the studio host at the conclusion of the spellbinding sit-down?

Cassell’s unflinching confidence; it seems Ahmad discovered from Michael Jordan that Sam believes he’s the best player on the court . . . even when the two of them used to grace it at the same time. As if that had any relevance to anything that’s madly swirling around the T’Wolves’ organization.

Does Mike Pearl know about this? It’s alarming to think he’d sign off on this kinda puff n’ stuff on a regular weekend basis. If my former TNT boss and current ABC executive producer didn’t know any better, I’d feel bad for him. Instead it’s the nitwork’s audience I feel sorry for.

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Adhering to form, Mitch Lawrence was his reckless self last Sunday; the Daily Nuisance’s NBA fiction writer smeared Joe Dumars, insinuating the Piston president and/or a staff member covertly contacted Saunders about replacing Larry Brown should he retire/leave/whatever after this season.

Lawrence’s usually unshakable sources also tipped him off that Dumars supposedly pressured Brown to return to the sidelines before he was fully recovered from a urinary infection.

“Total fabrication,” Dumars declared. “I’ve had no conversations with Flip nor has anyone spoken to him on my behalf. How is he allowed to make something up?

“As far as Larry is concerned, I simply went to him and asked was he going to be able to coach or not. I told him I totally understood if he couldn’t go. To read that we pressured Larry is so wrong.”

In an attempt to mollify what passes for its readership following its Scratch-And-Stiff game – where everyone who thought he’d won has a better chance of collecting coin from WorldCom – the Daily Nuisance, is sending out “Sing Along with Mitch Lawrence” 331/3’s.

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As for that other Lawrence, what was Frank thinking yesterday? With 5:17 left and the Nets crushing the Celtics, 97-71, the Nets’ coach still had four of his starters on the floor, including Jason Kidd and Vince Carter. Was Frank practicing plays, looking to satisfy a surreptitious injury list quota, or successfully matching wits with Tony Brown?

Representing Doc Rivers, oddly ejected less than two minutes into the blowout (he must’ve already seen the movie), Brown re-inserted Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Raef LaFrentz a few minutes earlier with Boston pretty well battered, 90-64. What was Deputy Dog trying to do, cut it to 15 by the final horn?

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In a hushed tone, Doug Collins broke it gently to TNT’s tumbling Thursday audience that interim coach Frank Hamblen is very upset with how things have turned out for the (lottery-bound) Lakers. Stunning stuff. Collins concluded by stating Hamblen didn’t want it to happen this way. Assuming those sentiments aren’t overstated, who else provides such engrossing enlightenment?

Who said the Lakers are dead? The Ramblin’ Hamblens put a 23-point pounding on the Sonics Friday, in Seattle, no less. It snapped a four-game slide and was their second win in the last 15. Come on, The Purple Feign began the weekend tied with my Paper Clips for the best record in the Office Supply Center.