Having spent days talking trash to the defending world champion Lakers, vowing they would rule the West because their home-court advantage was too much for Los Angeles to overcome, the Sacramento Kings promptly turned in 12 horrendous minutes of basketball that they spent 36 minutes futilely trying to overcome.

That was Saturday. If the Kings can win Game 2 tonight at Arco Arena, the best-of-seven Western Conference finals will be up for grabs when the series resumes at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. If they lose and fall into a two-games-to-none hole, with Games 3 and 4 Friday and Sunday in Los Angeles, another Lakers coronation can be expected.

Sacramento admittedly never pondered such a scenario before Game 1, which the Kings lost, 106-99, Saturday night. Now it has no choice.

Center Vlade Divac was quoted as saying: "If the Lakers don't have home-court advantage this year, they're not going to win it."

All-star forward Chris Webber refused to downplay that assertion, saying: "Vlade's a grown man. He can say what he wants. We're not scared of the Lakers."

The Kings talked the talk. The Lakers walked the walk. Because of it, basketball in the JV league - also known as the Eastern Conference - does not look so bad after all.