SPORTS ON WEEKEND TV

The NBA begins the first of a possible eight weekends of playoff action, with four games today and Sunday.

The Lakers will try to take a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their Western Conference best-of-five quarterfinal series today, with NBC’s coverage on Channels 4, 36 and 39 beginning at 12:30 p.m. The NBC double-header begins at 10 a.m. with the San Antonio Spurs playing the Golden State Warriors in another Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Cable’s Turner Network Television takes over at 3 p.m., with the Phoenix Suns playing host to the Utah Jazz, followed at 5:30 p.m. by the second game of the Philadelphia 76ers-Milwaukee Bucks Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

NBC airs an Eastern Conference double-header Sunday: the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers at 10 a.m., and the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks at 12:30 p.m. TNT features the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks at 4 p.m., and the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics at 6:30 p.m.

Pro Hockey: If Game 6 of the Kings-Edmonton Oilers Smythe Division finals is necessary, Prime Ticket will air it Sunday at 5 p.m. SportsChannel will carry Game 6 of the Norris Division finals between the Minnesota North Stars and St. Louis Blues Sunday at 5 p.m.. The Boston Bruins can win the Adams Division if they beat the Montreal Canadiens in a game beginning at 5 p.m. today on SportsChannel.

Baseball: KTLA Channel 5 airs Sunday’s Angels-Oakland Athletics game at 1 p.m.