(AP) - A look at the two Western Conference semifinal series (with regular season and playoff records):
No. 1 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (65-17, 4-1) vs. No. 5 HOUSTON ROCKETS (53-29, 4-2).
Season series: Lakers, 4-0. Los Angeles dominated the second halves of the games, outscoring the Rockets by a combined 223-162 (an average of 55.8-40.5) after halftime. Kobe Bryant averaged 28.3 points for the Lakers, going for 33 and 37 points in the two games that were decided by single digits. Yao Ming had 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the Rockets.
Storyline: After Houston acquired Ron Artest to team with Yao and Tracy McGrady, this matchup was a popular prediction for the Western Conference finals. Instead, the teams meet a round earlier, with the Rockets hoping to slow down a Lakers team that dominated them in the regular season and cruised past Utah in the first round.
Key Matchup I: Bryant vs. Artest and Shane Battier. The Rockets are considered one of the teams that can best match up with the Lakers because they have two elite perimeter defenders to throw at Bryant. Yet nothing they did seemed to work, as he made 53 percent of his shots and delighted in overwhelming Artest, bragging that “I kicked his (butt) tonight” after a 37-point outing on March 11. Houston also needs more consistent offense from Artest, who shot 4-of-16 in that game and had a 2-for-11 night in another loss.
Key Matchup II: Pau Gasol vs. Luis Scola. Two of the top international big men have battled many times in key games for their national teams. Gasol averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds against Houston this season, while Scola made 20 of 32 shots and scored 12.3 per game for Houston. He’ll have to stay out of foul trouble against Gasol and Lamar Odom.
X-Factor: Andrew Bynum. The Lakers didn’t use their former starting center much against Utah in the first round, playing him 15 minutes per game as he tries to regain his form following a long absence because of a knee injury. He could see more time to defend Yao, and he averaged 12 points in his two appearances against the Rockets this season.
Prediction: Lakers in 5.
No. 2 DENVER NUGGETS (54-28, 4-1) vs. No. 6 DALLAS MAVERICKS (50-32, 4-1).
Season series: Nuggets, 4-0. Denver won by two (twice), three and 10 points. Carmelo Anthony had a 43-point performance, averaged 31.3 points in three games, and the Nuggets won the one he missed when role players Dahntay Jones, Chris Andersen and Anthony Carter all scored in double figures. Dirk Nowitzki had four double-doubles, including a 44-point, 14-rebound game, and averaged 30 points and 11.3 rebounds, but his help was either inconsistent or injured. Josh Howard missed two games, joined by Jason Kidd in one of them. Outplayed by Chauncey Billups, Kidd missed 13 of 14 shots and totaled six points in the final two games he played.
Storyline: Two teams used to recent first-round failure finally advanced after strong finishes to the regular season. Denver reached the second round for the first time since 1994 by ousting New Orleans in five games, and Dallas eliminated San Antonio after consecutive first-round exits. The Mavs believe they’re playing well enough that their 0-4 record against the Nuggets means nothing.
Key matchup I: Anthony vs. Howard. Anthony was terrific offensively in the first round, averaging 24 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 46 percent from 3-point range. The Mavericks need Howard to control him while bringing the scoring he provided against the Hornets, when he averaged 18.8 points on 49 percent shooting.
Key matchup II: J.R. Smith vs. Jason Terry. Plenty of attention will be focused on the league’s two best sixth men, and not only because of Smith’s feud with Mavs owner Mark Cuban. Smith had two 20-point games against Dallas, but finished with two points on 1-of-14 shooting in the game he started for an injured Anthony. Terry, the winner of the sixth man award, will have to be sharper than he was in the first round, when he shot 38 percent and averaged 13.4 points—about six less than in the regular season.
X-factor: Nene. Relied on mostly for defense and rebounding, he scored 17 points per game against Dallas on 59 percent shooting. Erick Dampier is likely responsible for making sure he doesn’t hurt the Mavs that badly in this series.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6.
