HOW THEY MATCH UP

STARTERS: EDGE, LAKERS

However dangerous the combination of Chris Webber, Jason Williams and Vlade Divac can be to the Lakers, one fact leaps out in this matchup: Shaquille O’Neal (35.3 points a game) and Kobe Bryant (30.5) destroyed the Kings in the four-game regular-season series and it’s hard to see a way for Sacramento to shut them down. The Lakers did, however, get out of sync at times against the Kings, averaging 16 turnovers.

BENCH: EDGE, KINGS

Here’s where the Kings have really hurt the Lakers for the last two seasons--especially in transition. Guard Predrag Stojakovic averaged 20.3 points and made 56.4% of his shots (and seven of 12 three-point shots) against the Lakers this season and Tony Delk has recently played a major role behind Williams. The Laker bench will mostly be counted on for defense against Sacramento.

OFFENSE: EDGE, LAKERS

Sacramento scored more points, put up more shots, missed more shots and committed more turnovers than any NBA team. The Lakers were less prolific, averaging 4.2 fewer points, but, with O’Neal starting everything, were far more efficient. They were one of only seven teams to average more than 100 points, committed the third-fewest turnovers of any NBA team and attempted 552 fewer shots than the Kings.

DEFENSE: EDGE, LAKERS

In a playoff series, it’ll be easier--and mandatory--for Ron Harper and Bryant to slow down the King offense, or at least force Sacramento to take lower-percentage shots. The Kings made 45.5% of their shots against the Lakers; the rest of the league made 41.3% against them. The Kings have shown little desire to do anything but outscore the Lakers; their main defense is speeding up the game to such a fast pace that it rattles the Laker ballhandlers.

COACHING: EDGE, LAKERS

Phil Jackson and Sacramento’s Rick Adelman matched up when Jackson’s Chicago Bulls defeated Adelman’s Portland Trail Blazers, 4-2, in the 1992 NBA finals. The Lakers collected three of their more uncomfortable victories of the season over the Kings, but still, after losing the first meeting, won three in a row, each one slightly more impressive than the last. Can Adelman snap the Kings out of their 1-7 season-ending slide?

KEY TO SERIES: EDGE, LAKERS

Who gets the easy baskets? The Lakers can count on a combined 60-70 points from O’Neal and Bryant, but they’re going to need high-percentage shooting out of some combination of the rest of their rotation--bad shots lead to long rebounds lead to King fastbreaks, an almost guaranteed way to keep Sacramento around all game. Pick: Lakers, 3-0.