Lakers vs. Sacramento

Lakers sweep series, 4-0

Game 1: May 6

Lakers 108, Sacramento 105

All the Kings' Horses . . .

The Sacramento Kings believed they were men enough to stand with Shaquille O'Neal, and so they awoke the next day with his Dunk emblem on their foreheads, with his game on their breaths, and with his roaring confidence on their consciences.

They played O'Neal straight up, and took their defeat the same way. He scored 44 points in 44 minutes, many of the points on ferocious dunks, and the Lakers beat the Kings, 108-105, at Staples Center in the first game of a best-of-seven series in the Western Conference semifinals.

Playing for the first time in a week, and therefore finding themselves with none of the thrust generated by a winning streak--12 games now--that dates to April 3, the Lakers did the logical thing. They located O'Neal, entrenched deep in the lane, often with only Vlade Divac or Scot Pollard on his hip, and they spent three quarters honing their entry passes.

O'Neal finished two points short of his career playoff high and added 21 rebounds and seven blocked shots. He took 11 of his rebounds on offense, seven of those in the second half. He had 13 points and nine rebounds in the fourth quarter.

Divac fouled out and Pollard was on his way there when the Lakers put away the Kings, finally when O'Neal blocked a Jason Williams layup with fewer than 20 seconds remaining and the Lakers ahead by three points.

He made 17 of 32 shots and might have scored 50 points had his free throws not gone sideways on him in the fourth quarter. The rest of the Lakers did what they had to do--get out of O'Neal's way, guard their guys, hold onto the ball, and then smack him on the back on his way off the floor.

Kobe Bryant, whose sore ribs afforded him little opportunity to practice in the week since the Lakers eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers, scored 29 points, but missed 13 of 23 shots. As it was, Bryant and O'Neal combined for 29 of the Lakers' 31 third-quarter points, and 46 of their 55 second-half points.

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IN QUOTES

"You can do nothing, especially with the rules. They're going to change next year, but obviously not this year. Just give us a chance. Call three seconds or something. You can't stop him. He's going to score every time down there."

VLADE DIVAC

Sacramento center, on Shaquille O'Neal

They Just Can't Stop O'Neal

Game 2: May 8

Lakers 96, Sacramento 90