Before he headed back to the North Pole, Santa Claus left something really nice in the Sacramento Kings' stocking. And, unlike an ugly tie or a stale fruitcake, this Christmas gift ought to have some lasting importance into the New Year.

The Kings, who flamed out in last season's Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, erased some of that hurt with a 105-99 win over their nemesis in Los Angeles on Christmas Day, perhaps serving notice that they are ready to push past the Lakers and into the NBA Finals.

"We took their best shot [Wednesday]," Kings forward Chris Webber said. "We were down 10 in the third quarter. ... If anything, we showed that we're more composed."

In the playoffs last season, the Kings watched Robert Horry hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to keep them from going up 3-1 in the series, and also dropped the seventh game of the series at Arco Arena.

On Wednesday, the Kings showed their poise in overcoming a third-quarter Lakers lead at Staples Center, using a 30-13 run to seize control.

"I wasn't all that amped up [Wednesday], not like I was for that seventh game," Sacramento guard Doug Christie said. "This was a big game, but it's only the regular season. We knew we play them again later in the [season]."

The Kings will see the three-time defending champion Lakers three more times in the regular season, and they undoubtedly will face them with a lot more confidence and from a position of superiority.

"They are not close to the team we played in the playoffs," said Sacramento center Vlade Divac, a former Laker. "It's much harder to play the Clippers. But if we play our game, we know we can beat anybody."

Come playoff time, all bets might be off. If the Lakers somehow make the postseason, they will get there on a rather significant roll and may draw one of the last Western Conference seeds, meaning they might see the Kings in a best-of-five first-round series.

But that assumes the Lakers can get themselves out of the huge hole they've dug for themselves. In Wednesday's game, the dynamic duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant came up wanting in the second half, shooting a combined 4-for-30 after halftime.

"I think the biggest difference is they are not making shots," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "Kobe and Shaq are making plays, but I just think it's tough to put a finger on it. I think lately they just grind things out, they stay in the game. They [used to] kind of wear you out. They are not doing that right now."

By June, it may not matter what the Lakers do because there could be a new champion from Sacramento wearing the crown.

Quiz

The Lakers unveiled new white uniforms for Wednesday's game, replicas of which promptly went on sale online after the contest. How many years had it been since the Lakers wore white?

Head Hawk grounded

No team started the regular season with more hope than the Atlanta Hawks, who added Glenn Robinson to a talented mix that included Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Jason Terry.

In fact, the mix seemed so tasty that coach Lon Kruger persuaded management to guarantee to fans that the Hawks would make their first postseason appearance since the 1998-99 season.

"It was something that I thought we needed to create a little enthusiasm. It helps call a little attention to the team," Kruger said.

Maybe Kruger, who was fired last week after compiling a 69-122 mark in a little more than two years, should have hid more instead. The team appeared to sleepwalk through the early season, giving the already indifferent Atlanta fan base little incentive to come watch, and the Hawks posted the second-lowest average attendance in the league.

So management fired Kruger and assistant Gar Heard, turning over the reins to Terry Stotts, who was in his first year in Atlanta after 14 years with George Karl in Milwaukee, Seattle and in the CBA.

Stotts, who had been one of the hot young assistants rumored for a head coaching opportunity, has been charged by president Stan Kasten and general manager Pete Babcock to get the Hawks to do a little better at guarding the basket. Atlanta ranks 24th in the 29-team NBA in points allowed.

"You have to motivate the players a lot of different ways," Stotts said. "You have to do it however you can. That is the mandate from Pete, to play hard and give defensive effort."

Just wondering: How is it that Kasten and Babcock, who have presided over this mess for 12 years, escaped the gallows?

Quiz answer

The Lakers last wore white uniforms in the 1966-67 season.

Tony's back

Good news for one of the league's good guys: Former Maryland center Tony Massenburg, who was cut by the Memphis Grizzlies just before the beginning of the season, was signed by the Utah Jazz to replace Jason Collins, who suffered a knee injury earlier this month.

Massenburg had 11 points and seven rebounds last week in a win over the Grizzlies.

Quote

"Right now we're acting like an old married couple that's tired of being with each other. And that's dangerous, because not until you see someone else holding the trophy you've held for three years do you get mad. And at that point, it's too late." - Lakers forward Rick Fox, on the team's problems.

Compiled from interviews, wire services and reports from other newspapers.