LAKERS vs. PORTLAND

SCHEDULE

Sunday at Lakers, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday at Lakers, 7:30 p.m.

April 29 at Portland, 2:30 p.m.

May 1 at Portland, TBD*

May 4 at Lakers, TBD*

* if necessary; TBD--to be determined

THE BREAKDOWN

* Team records (seeds): (2) Lakers 56-26, (7) Portland 50-32.

* Season series: 2-2; Oct. 31--Lakers 96, at Portland 86; Dec. 13--at Portland 96, Lakers 86; Dec. 25--Portland 109, at Lakers 104; April 15--at Lakers 105, Portland 100.

* Head coaches: Mike Dunleavy (fourth season), Phil Jackson (second season).

* Scouting report: Gee, don’t we know you from somewhere? A team seeded second shouldn’t have to open against an $89.7-million roster with Portland’s size and depth, but after the Trail Blazers’ late-season swoon, here they are, the priciest, winningest seventh-seeded team in NBA history. Fighting for their lives will improve the Trail Blazers’ concentration. They know how to play the Lakers as they proved in last season’s Western Conference finals, using their size and Scottie Pippen as a double-teamer to contain Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers have the best 1-2 punch, home court and more cohesion, even if it took them all season to locate it. The Trail Blazers have most other advantages, though.

* Prediction: Lakers, 3-1, but it will seem as if it was harder than that.

PROBABLE LAKER STARTERS

C Shaquille O’Neal 28.7 pts, 12.7 pts

F Horace Grant 8.5 pts, 7.1 reb

F Rick Fox 9.6 pts, 4.0 reb

G Derek Fisher 11.5 pts, 4.4 ast

G Kobe Bryant 28.5 pts, 5.9 reb, 5.0 ast

KEY RESERVES

G Ron Harper 6.5 pts, 3.5 reb

G Brian Shaw 5.3 pts, 3.2 ast

F Robert Horry 5.2 pts, 3.7 reb

PROBABLE TRAIL BLAZER STARTERS

F Rasheed Wallace 19.2 pts, 7.8 reb

F Scottie Pippen 11.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 4.6 ast

C Arvydas Sabonis 10.1 pts, 5.4 reb

G Steve Smith 13.6 pts

G Damon Stoudamire 13.0 pts, 5.7 ast

KEY RESERVES

F Dale Davis 7.2 pts, 7.5 reb

G Rod Strickland 9.2 pts, 5.6 ast

F Stacey Augmon 4.7 pts

F Detlef Schrempf 4.0 pts

* Injury report: LA--G Tyronn Lue (ankle); G Ron Harper (knee).

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THE MATCHUPS LA POR Avg. points 100.6 (3) 95.4 (14) Avg. points allowed 97.2 (23) 91.2 (6) Avg. rebounds 44.7 (5) 42.0 (19) Opp. avg. rebounds 41.3 (7) 38.8 (2) Field goal % .465 (3) .468 (2) Opp. field goal % .438 (11) .438 (12) Free throw % .683 (29) .762 (9) Three point % .344 (20) .349 (16)

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Research by Roy Jurgens