Crucial Battle of Midway Looms

SEATTLE â€”  Double or nothing?

“Not this year,� Nick Van Exel said.

So, no bets?

“No bets.�

Having paid the $100 to every member of last season’s SuperSonics he could find, as he said he would if the Lakers didn’t win the Pacific Division title, Van Exel and his teammates begin the rivalry anew today at KeyArena, minus the financial intrigue but little else.

Even the peripheral implications have marquee value: The winning coach today goes to the All-Star game, either Del Harris or Seattle’s George Karl, the result of having the best record in the Western Conference as of the Sunday cut-off date.

Figure both sides will be motivated beyond that. The schedule that dictated the teams would not meet until late January, at exactly the midpoint of the season for the Lakers, has only increased the buildup. The standings that show the teams as close as most expected three months ago have taken care of the rest.

“Hey, let’s face it,� Harris said. “It’s a special game. It’s a great way to play the 41st game of an 82-game season. You have two teams, matching up on national television, with the fewest losses in the league. What could be better?

“It’s just, you meet at noon, one guy walks away and the other guy’s in the ground.�

They meet at 12:30, actually. But you get the idea.

“It’s definitely a statement game,� said Van Exel, who has had some of the greatest showings of his career against the SuperSonics. “Both teams are battling for the top spot. Not just in the Western Conference, but in the whole league.�

Added Shaquille O’Neal: “Of course it’s a big emotional game. If we go up there and do what we should do, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, it’ll be a long day.�

The Lakers won three of the four meetings last season--the victories coming by one, two and four points--including both at KeyArena. Counting the playoffs, L.A. has a 12-5 advantage in the series in the three years under Harris, and the Lakers come in having won their last four games and seven of eight.

The SuperSonics, meanwhile, still have the best record in the league, with 11 victories in the last 14 outings enough to offset the tumble Tuesday in Dallas that allowed the Lakers to close within half a game. That stumble allowed Harris back into contention for his first all-star assignment and made today even bigger.