For Lakers, an Extended Look at Kings

Now that airport authorities have been tipped, the Sacramento Kings can only hope for someone other than the Toronto Raptors as an NBA finals foe. Customs, and all.

Meantime, since having their senses of humor tested, the Kings, a once-laughable franchise, get another shot at “the big boys,” as Chris Webber recently called the Lakers.

Should this be easy for the Lakers? Does it look easy?

A year ago yesterday, the Lakers won their first-round series against the Kings in the fifth game, the full allotment of angst, near-disaster and cowbells.

Three weeks ago Tuesday, the Lakers beat out the Kings for a Pacific Division title in their 82nd game, every bit of the NBA schedule that included three victories in four games against the Kings.

The reward is home-court advantage in a best-of-seven series that begins at noon today, NBC time, at Staples Center. Because they sustained little in the way of regular-season proficiency until their final eight games, the Lakers might not have the same advantage in subsequent series.

They also haven’t played since last Sunday, all of the idle time leaving the Lakers with plenty to consider. Among the topics was the Kings jubilantly celebrating their round-one victory against the Phoenix Suns, causing Laker Coach/Sacramento Tormentor Phil Jackson to muse, “They really have a bunch of goofy guys who enjoy having a good time. You don’t want the dogs sniffing their luggage when they come off the plane.”

The remarks came a year to the day after Jackson dropped the “semi-civilized” and “redneck” references on the folks of Sacramento, which leads you to wonder if he habitually circles May 3 on his pocket calendar.

On Saturday, after a light practice, Laker forward Rick Fox welcomed the Game 1 sighting.

“There’s only so much we can talk about,” he said. “Besides, if we don’t get going, Phil’s going to say something else to [tick] them off.”

Most Sacramentans missed the humor, so in a series that features Shaquille O’Neal and former Laker Vlade Divac, Kobe Bryant and rising star Peja Stojakovic, and free-agent-to-be Webber and what could be his final games in a King uniform, there are also the bent feelings to consider. In New York, the tabloids already are screaming for Webber.

“The difference is not only that they’re a better defensive team but they’re a year more mature, just like we are,” Laker guard Derek Fisher said. “And a year smarter. They remember the disappointment of being eliminated in Game 5 by us last season. They’re a better basketball team all the way around. It’s not going to be a series that can be predetermined by particular matchups or what happened last season or during the regular season or where we are before the series starts. It’ll come down to which team is most prepared to play each game.”

After all of the analysis and swipes at humor--and shouldn’t the Kings laugh in the same spirit of merriment that drove them to dance four nights ago?--there remains a game to play, and maybe the most evenly matched one of the season. For the first time this season, Bryant, O’Neal and Webber will be on the floor in the same game. Laker guard Ron Harper, recovering from knee surgery, also is expected to play, meaning the Lakers will field the team Jerry West and Mitch Kupchak built for the first game this season.

“We really haven’t gotten a full measure of what all our players mean when they’re on the floor together,” Jackson said. “We will find out more about that.”

Even with the injuries--and Bryant continues to measure his sore left ribs in practice every day--the Lakers have won 11 consecutive games, including the three-game sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. It remains to be seen if they squirreled away any momentum. By today’s tip, 162 hours will have passed between games.

“I think we’ll come out aggressive and sharp,” said Bryant, who averaged 25 points in the Portland series. “If for some reason we don’t, we’ll have to get it as the game goes on.”

As the week progressed, the Lakers spent a lot of time watching the last game between the teams, a 108-84 King victory at Staples Center in which the Lakers scored 31 second-half points.

“They kicked our fannies, not too long ago,” Fisher said. “It wasn’t fun to watch. There were some shots on TNT that showed them smiling and having a good time on the bench, and that’s the worst feeling as a player, to see someone enjoying beating you so much on your home court. It wasn’t fun to watch. We’re not going to go out and start any fights, but that was our last memory of the Sacramento Kings, and they beat us good.”

It was the, uh, buzz all week.

“They don’t like us and we don’t like them,” Fisher said. “It’s time to go out and play.”

*

LAKERS vs. SACRAMENTO NOON, CHANNEL 4

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

2000-01 Games

* Nov. 16, 2000, Arco Arena

Lakers 112, Kings 110 (OT)

* Feb. 4, 2001, Staples Center

Lakers 100, Kings 94

* March 25, 2001, Arco Arena

Lakers 84, Kings 72

* March 28, 2001, Staples Center

Kings 108, Lakers 84

How They Compare

Statistics when Lakers and Kings played each other this season:

*--*

Kings STATISTIC Lakers 1-3 Record 3-1 96.0 Points per game 95.0 .417 Field-goal % .425 .351 Three-point % .313 .827 Free-throw % .726 11.5 Offensive rebounds 12.3 34.5 Defensive rebounds 33.7 46.0 Total rebounds 46.0 19.0 Assists 21.0 9.0 Steals 5.8 4.0 Blocks 6.3

*--*