It took a miracle 3-pointer by Kobe Bryant with 1.1 seconds left in regulation and an equally miraculous collapse by the Sacramento Kings against a Golden State Warriors team missing three starters and set to begin summer vacation today.
But the Lakers went into double-overtime of their regular-season finale Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers in control over their playoff seeding. And then Bryant hit a shot more significant than anyone could have imagined.
Bryant's second buzzer-beating, rain-making 3-pointer sent the Lakers to a 105-104 triumph, the Western Conference's No. 2 seed and into a first-round series with the Houston Rockets beginning Saturday at Staples Center.
It will mark the first Yao Ming-Shaquille O'Neal playoff showdown and set up a path to the NBA Finals that would match the Lakers against the defending NBA champion and No. 3 seeded San Antonio Spurs in the second round.
It also was perhaps the most opportune outcome for which the Lakers -- who also captured the Pacific Division title -- could have hoped, especially after San Antonio hammered Denver by 26 points earlier Wednesday.
Now the Lakers will face a Houston team that ended a five-game losing streak last Wednesday, scored just 69 points against Utah on Saturday and started Bostjan Nachbar in Wednesday's 92-89 loss to Dallas.
The Rockets had the worst second-half record (15-15) of any of the Lakers' possible first-round playoff opponents and the worst home-court record (27-13) of any Western Conference playoff team.
Houston also enters the playoffs with less-than-perfect health. Steve Francis is nursing an injured elbow and wrist, Cuttino Mobley has been bothered by a bruised shoulder and Yao recently complained of fatigue. Neither Francis nor Mobley started Wednesday against Dallas, with 30-somethings Mark Jackson and Jim Jackson taking their place. And Mobley described the Rockets last week as playing not to lose their playoff seeding rather than to win.
Houston does play the trademark defense preached by coach Jeff Van Gundy for years with the New York Knicks. The Rockets held opponents to just 41.2 percent shooting during the regular season, second-best in the league.
The Lakers split their four-game season series against the Rockets, most recently posting a 93-85 victory April 1. O'Neal held Yao to just six points and eight rebounds on 3-for-15 shooting in that game.
For the year, O'Neal averaged 23.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in four games against Houston. Yao averaged 21.5 points and 8.8 rebounds against O'Neal.
The series also will feature a matchup of Bryant and Francis, both All-Stars.
Most significantly, though, the Lakers will not have to fight their way from the No. 4 seed to the finals. That honor now belongs to the Kings, who stunningly lost 97-91 to Golden State, and will open the playoffs against No. 5 Dallas.
Since the NBA expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1984, a No. 4 seed never has won the championship. The spot has been a graveyard for teams, with No. 4 seeds going just 17-23 in first-round series and 0-17 in the conference semifinals.
The Lakers and Rockets, meanwhile, last met in the first round of the 1999 playoffs, which the Lakers won 3-1. The Lakers won their 2000-01 championship as a No. 2 seed.
Houston plays a defense-oriented style that should be more favorable to the Lakers than the small lineup in vogue with the Mavericks. Dallas has averaged 116 points in its past 11 games since shifting Antoine Walker to center and starting undrafted rookie Marquis Daniels at guard.
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