Season series: Sonics won 3-1. The Kings' April 5 win came while Sonics All-Star Rashard Lewis was out because of injury.

Story line: Both teams come in out of sorts. The Sonics have gone 3-8 this month, while the Kings' top scorer, Peja Stojakovic, has been battling a strained groin.

Key matchup: Sonics' Luke Ridnour vs. Kings' Mike Bibby. Bibby has a history of increasing his production during the postseason. Ridnour has a history of, well, a pretty good sophomore season.

X Factor: Will the Sonics' Vladimir Radmanovic and the Kings' Brad Miller play? And will they produce at an acceptable level if they do?

Trend: The Sonics' 108-78 win on Nov. 10 is the only of the teams' four matchups in which both teams didn't reach 100 points.

Prediction: Sonics in 7.