THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

GAME OF THE WEEK

LAKERS at INDIANA

*--* No Team (Rec) Comment (last week) 1 SACRAMENTO (33-12) If they’re better with Webber than they have been without him, look out. (3) 2 INDIANA (35-13) Jermaine O’Neal no longer just good for an East big man, averaging 21-11. (4) 3 MINNESOTA (32-13) Game’s most underrated player, Cassell, should finally become an All-Star. (2) 4 SAN ANTONIO (31-18) No. 17 offense is really in trouble when defenses take away Duncan. (1) 5 DETROIT (32-16) Brown doesn’t like shoot-first point guards, but he and Billups are still OK. (5) 6 LAKERS (27-16) Could sign whole Hall of Fame and they’d still be No. 4 in West on Feb. 1. (12) 7 DALLAS (29-18) OK, Nelson can stay if he does this in playoffs, too: Mavericks go 9-2. (7) 8 HOUSTON (26-20) Oops: Francis, Mobley, Coach Ewing seen out at 3 a.m. before loss in Miami. (6) 9 NEW JERSEY (25-20) Reporters call Lawrence Frank “Doogie Howser,” but the little twerp is 3-0. (11) 10 DENVER (28-21) Camby, who can be free agent, on salary drive, averaging 10-11 in January. (8) 11 NEW ORLEANS (26-21) U.S. Cavalry to rescue: Mashburn scores last 13 to beat Bucks in first game. (13) 12 MILWAUKEE (26-21) Still another reason not to go there: Bucks have won 16 of last 18 at home. (9) 13 MEMPHIS (25-21) We’re still waiting to see who Gasol, 23, grows up to be, Garnett or Nowitzki. (10) 14 SEATTLE (22-23) Teammates are down on 2001 lottery pick Radmanovic, talented but casual. (15) 15 UTAH (24-23) Jazz hopes to get in Bryant free-agent chase, but it better tell mascot.(18) 16 TORONTO (21-23) This makes three East teams with losing record now in playoff slots. (14) 17 NEW YORK (22-27) If Knicks get to No. 4 in East, they’ll get a tickertape parade like Lindbergh. (20) 18 MIAMI (21-27) Dwyane Wade’s back, but closest thing they have to big man, Brian Grant, is out. (19) 19 CLIPPERS (20-25) Oops: Chris Kaman goes from averaging 8-8 in December to 5-5 in January. (17) 20 GOLDEN STATE (20-25) Van Exel won’t need surgery after all, as agent says team will trade him. (21) 21 PHILADELPHIA (20-27) Just a hunch: Iverson will say 76ers ought to trade him and rebuild. (22) 22 PORTLAND (21-24) Latest Wallace rumor has him going to Warriors for Van Exel, Dampier. (23) 23 BOSTON (22-27) Actually, Ainge can use some lottery picks to realize “vision” of his. (16) 24 CLEVELAND (17-29) Sometimes you gain by subtraction: Cavaliers were 6-18 when Ricky Davis left. (25) 25 PHOENIX (17-32) Suns let McDyess come back at his own pace, may get to re-sign him cheap. (24) 26 WASHINGTON (14-31) Dean of Atlantic coaches, Eddie Jordan, hired in June: “It’s a great honor.” (27) 27 ATLANTA (15-33) Better warm up a new dean of East coaches if this is all Terry Stotts can do. (28) 28 ORLANDO (13-36) It’s a little late, but McGrady averaged 24 first two months, 32 in January. (26) 29 CHICAGO (13-35) Stop him before he deals again: Paxson is actually out to move Curry now. (29)

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When -- Monday. Time -- 4 p.m. PST. TV -- Ch. 9, 5:30.

Story line -- This would be billed as a Finals preview, if people had more confidence the Lakers would make it.