Kings’ Fortunes Have Slid Since Win Over L.A.

In the three months since their last meeting, a raucous, 103-91 Sacramento King victory over the Lakers at Arco Arena, the teams have traveled different paths that could end up pitting them against each other in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Since that Dec. 8 defeat, the Lakers have gone 36-6 (including their current 17-game winning streak) and bolted to a four-game lead over their nearest pursuer for the NBA’s best record.

Meanwhile, over the same period, the volatile Kings are 24-21 and are jockeying with Minnesota and Seattle for the West’s last three playoff positions.

So tonight’s game at Staples Center, the first of three King-Laker matchups in the next month, could be a preview of No. 1 vs. No. 8 and a review of which team has adjusted best since early December.

“I feel that game’s kind of like eons ago,” said Kobe Bryant, who was making his first start on Dec. 8 after sitting out the first 15 contests because of a broken hand and coming off the bench for four more games.

“We were such a different team, we were just getting started with the system, with the players, everybody finding their own little niche.

“The team that they’re going to face tomorrow is going to be very different.”

But, as Coach Phil Jackson points out, the Kings, who beat the Lakers twice in three games last season, still have pieces that can be dangerous to the Lakers: multitalented big men Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, penetrating guards and a deep, active three-point shooting bench.

Sacramento is the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 105.9 points.

“I think Webber creates a matchup problem for us, outside-inside,” Jackson said. “And Divac is obviously one of those kinds of centers that are very skilled at a lot of offensive positions.

“We take this as a really good challenge for us as a basketball team, [with their] varying styles . . . and a team that we possibly will be matched against in the playoffs.”

TONIGHT

vs. Sacramento, 6:30

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 51-11, Kings 36-25.

* Record vs. Kings--0-1.

* Update--With a victory, the Lakers would climb 41 games above .500 for the first time since the 1989-90 season, when they finished 63-19 in Pat Riley’s final Laker coaching campaign. The Kings are 12-19 on the road, including a 1-6 skid in their last seven.

* Tickets--Sold out.