AP - A look at the Western Conference semifinal series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz, which begins Sunday (with regular-season and playoff records):
No. 1 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (57-25, 4-2) vs. No. 5 UTAH JAZZ (53-29, 4-2)
Season series: Lakers, 3-1. The Lakers' average margin of victory in their three wins was 17.7 points. The teams split a pair of meetings four days apart in December, then Los Angeles won the last two by 15 and 14 points. That included a 96-81 victory at Salt Lake City on Feb. 10, snapping Utah's nine-game winning streak, when Kobe Bryant was sitting out to rest his injured ankle.
Storyline: After needing six games to oust Oklahoma City in the first round, the Lakers move on to their third playoff meeting with Utah in three years. The Lakers knocked off the Jazz in the second round in 2008 and rolled past them in five games in the first round last year.
Key Matchup 1: Pau Gasol vs. Carlos Boozer. Gasol, whose follow shot with 0.5 seconds left in Game 6 against Oklahoma City sent Los Angeles to the second round, was dominant against the Jazz during the regular season, averaging 17.8 points and 16.8 rebounds. He had 22 points and 19 boards to carry the Lakers in the game Bryant missed. Boozer almost certainly has to be better than he was against the Lakers, when he was held to 12 points or fewer three times, making 5 of 16 shots in one loss and 4-of-13 in another.
Key Matchup II: Lamar Odom vs. Paul Millsap. Two of the top reserve forwards in the league, who often play starters' minutes. After two quiet games, Odom scored 25 and 26 points in the final two meetings with the Jazz. He wasn't sharp in the first round, managing only 7.8 points on 42 per cent shooting, with coach Phil Jackson saying at one point he needed to play better. Millsap averaged 17.3 points on 61 per cent shooting during an impressive opening round against Denver.
X-Factor: Wesley Matthews. The rookie scored 23 points in the Game 6 clincher against Denver, but shot only 39 per cent in the series. If he can produce in this series, it could prevent the Lakers from using Bryant to defend Deron Williams, who averaged 25.8 points and 11.3 assists in a sizzling first round. Matthews scored 19 in Utah's lone regular-season win over Los Angeles.
Prediction: Lakers in 6.
A look at the Western Conference semifinal series between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, which begins Monday (with regular-season and playoff records):
No. 3 PHOENIX SUNS (54-28, 4-2) vs. No. 7 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (50-32, 4-2).
Season series: Suns 2-1. Phoenix shredded San Antonio’s defense, shooting better than 50 percent in all three meetings. The Suns averaged 112.7 points on 51 percent shooting against the Spurs for the season and won both games at home. Even San Antonio’s victory came at Phoenix’s preferred pace, pulling out a 113-110 home victory on Feb. 28 despite 41 points and 12 rebounds from Amare Stoudemire. Steve Nash averaged 20.3 points and 12 assists.
Storyline: Off to a strong start in a rare role as postseason underdogs after upsetting Dallas in the first round, the Spurs now get a chance to deal more misery to Phoenix. San Antonio has ruined plenty of recent seasons for the Suns, eliminating them in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
Key Matchup 1: Stoudemire vs. Tim Duncan. With Duncan nearing the end of a career that will land him in the Hall of Fame, Stoudemire may have supplanted him as the premier power forward in the Western Conference. Even Duncan couldn’t handle him this season, as Stoudemire averaged 32.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in the series. Duncan did have a pair of double-doubles, including a 34-point, 14-rebound performance in the Suns’ 116-104 victory on Dec. 15.
Key Matchup II: Grant Hill vs. Richard Jefferson. Hill, whom the Spurs wanted to sign a few years ago, scored 17 points in both Phoenix wins but was held to just six in the lone San Antonio victory. Jefferson, so disappointing for much of the season that he was a reserve in the February matchup, has played better late in the season and that was the also the case against Phoenix. Held to four points in the first meeting, he scored 20 and 17 in the last two.
X-Factor: Jason Richardson. Comes into this series on a roll after averaging 23.5 points on 53 percent shooting in the first-round victory over Portland. He hurt the Spurs during the regular season, scoring 20 points in each of the last two meetings while making 15-of-26 shots.
Prediction: Spurs in 6.
