Lakers vs Kings

Lore & Background

The Sacramento Kings were born as an independent franchise in 1923, first operating as the Rochester Seagrams. After primarily operating as an independent franchise for most of their existence up until the World War II years, with Prohibition's long-term effects resulting in the team's final seasons as an independent franchise leading to them first play as the Rochester Eber Seagrams and then as the Rochester Pros, they would finally enter the National Basketball League in 1945 after World War II ended alongside the Youngstown Bears and the Indianapolis Kautskys as the Rochester Royals after the Rochester franchise previously declined entry back when that league originally was known as the Midwest Basketball Conference in the mid-1930s.

Rochester's first season would see immediate success, as while they wouldn't get the best record in the NBL that season, they would win the NBL championship by first winning 3–1 over the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in the Eastern Division Playoff and then sweeping the Sheboygan Red Skins 3–0 in the championship round. By contrast, the Lakers would see anything but immediate success upon their entry into the NBL as the Detroit Gems the following season, as they would see themselves with the worst record that season through a 4–40 record while the Royals entered the championship round yet again (though failed to repeat that season).

Following that massive failure of a season for the Gems, the franchise would move operations to Minneapolis to become the Minneapolis Lakers. From there, the Royals and Lakers would become the two best teams in their respective divisions in the 1947–48 NBL season, with them eventually seeing each other in the NBL championship that season, with the Lakers winning their first ever playoff series match-up 3–1 due to their newest center pick-up, George Mikan from the former NBL champion Chicago American Gears.

Both teams joined the BAA in 1948 (alongside the since-rebranded Fort Wayne Pistons (now Detroit Pistons) and Indianapolis Jets, the latter of which would fold operations a year later), which would become the NBA the following year due to the merger of the younger BAA and the older NBL.

Reader's Guide

2002 Western Conference Finals: During the 2001 offseason, the Kings traded Williams to the Memphis Grizzlies for Mike Bibby, who would create more stability at point guard. That season, they would finish with the best record in the NBA at 61–21. Meanwhile, the Lakers, despite an arthritic toe from O'Neal, would finish 58-24 and claimed the third seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Kings defeated the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs to advance to the Western Conference Finals, while the Lakers would defeat the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs to face off with the Kings.

The Lakers and Kings split the first two games in Sacramento. Los Angeles raced out to a 36-point first quarter in Game 1 behind 67% shooting and never trailed, paced by Kobe Bryant's 30 point effort and 26 points from Shaquille O'Neal. Chris Webber had 28 points and 14 rebounds, but the other Kings combined shot under 40 percent. Sacramento rebounded to win Game 2, paced behind Webber (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Mike Bibby (20 points).

O'Neal had 35 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled with foul trouble; Bryant shot 9-for-21 from the field and was suffering from food poisoning which he contracted from a meal at the team hotel, and some felt it was done deliberately by the hotel staff. The loss snapped the NBA record 12-game playoff road winning streak for the Lakers. The Kings went to Staples Center and dominated Game 3 to regain home-court advantage, leading by as many as 27 and never trailing.

They were again paced by Webber and Bibby, who combined for 50 points, and got solid contributions from Doug Christie (17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) and Vlade Divac (11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks). Other than a brief 3-point barrage in the 4th quarter by the Lakers to cut the lead to 12, there was not much help provided for O'Neal, who had 20 points and 19 rebounds. In Game 4, Sacramento again got out to a fast start with a 40-point first quarter and built a 24-point first half lead.

However, the Lakers cut the lead to 14 at halftime with a Samaki Walker 3-pointer at the buzzer that should not have counted (replay was not used at the time), and to 7 after three quarters. They whittled it down to 2 on the final possession with a chance to tie or win it, but Bryant missed a running layup and Shaq missed a put-back attempt.

Did You Know?

• The Lakers and Royals met in the BAA Western Division Finals in 1949, which the Lakers swept 2–0.
• The 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 4 featured Robert Horry's iconic buzzer-beating three-pointer for the Lakers.