After four regular-season and six playoff games between the Hornets and Spurs -- and an even 5-5 split that included 10 very uneven games -- the teams will face off in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series tonight at the New Orleans Arena.

Even if the Hornets lose, the 2007-08 season will be considered the most successful in franchise history. The team has transformed itself from a relatively obscure squad with attendance issues to a championship contender with no problems packing its arena.

Tonight's game is the most important in franchise history because of what else it could mean. The Hornets are one win away from advancing to their first conference finals, and the team they must conquer is the defending champion, perhaps the most dominant NBA franchise of the past 10 years.

"This is what it's all about," Scott said Sunday. "This is the ultimate. You want to have a Game 7, and you want to have it in your home building against the defending champions. So this is the ultimate challenge for us, and I think we have a lot of guys on this team that enjoy that type of challenge. So it's going to be fun."

What will the Kings do with Ron Artest? Captivated by his moments of stardom, frustrated by his bouts of undependability, the Kings' latest decision time arrives with the usual ambivalence and the new circumstance: that Artest can declare himself a free agent by June 30. For the first time, he has a loud vote in how this turns out.

Artest being Artest, he spent the season's second half offering mixed messages about whether he would exercise the contract option and, if so, whether it would be with the intent of getting a new long-term deal with the Kings or leaving. There's $7.4 million on the table for 2008-09 and about 74 million contradictory signals.

The possibilities of what happens next are just as diverse. Artest cannot be dealt until he either turns down the option – which might not happen in time to include him in any June 26 draft-day maneuvering – or he becomes an unrestricted free agent and a candidate for a sign-and-trade. He also could leave for nothing at that point if the Kings don't work a swap with his preferred new team, an outcome that would cost Artest millions.

The benefit for the Kings then would be clearing his contract from the books, not to mention the incalculable return of ending the emotional yoga of life with Artest. The internal considerations are the same reason many teams won't trade for him now and certainly wouldn't commit to him with a long-term deal as a free agent.

But some parties will be interested if he does not opt out, probably even more now than at the February trade deadline as the Kings listened hard to offers. In that scenario, in which Artest keeps the $7.4 million for 2008-09 and becomes a free agent next summer, he would have the added attraction/reduced risk of an expiring contract. The new team would inherit cap flexibility and the comfort of knowing they're stuck with each for just one season if the relationship doesn't work.

The faces haunt Ira Newble, their silent anguish sometimes drowning out the joyous noise of a Staples Center crowd, their looming presence a jarring reminder that genuine do-or-die struggles in life don't occur on a basketball court.

Newble, 33, is usually stuck on the Lakers' bench, but he has plenty of positives to focus on. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward, with eight years in the league, went from being a free agent two months ago to a roster spot on one of the teams favored to win the NBA title.

But even such good fortune can't dull the pain of having seen young children draw pictures of their parents being murdered, or erase the horror of hearing a young woman talk about being raped night after night. And it doesn't dim the image of a young man whose eyes were gouged out.

Newble saw all that and more last summer when he made a trip to a refugee camp in Chad to see victims of the conflict in neighboring Darfur.

"The stories are so saddening," Newble said. "I'm from Detroit and I've seen some of the worst things there and in other parts of this country, but it doesn't begin to compare to the living conditions of the people from Darfur."

The Darfur region, located in western Sudan, has been engulfed in a devastating conflict for the last five years. Government troops and militia units have been battling rebels opposed to a government they say persecutes the non-Arab population. The government-backed militia units have targeted civilians, and an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 have been killed, with some 2.5 million people displaced.

The Lakers avoided a Game 7 and now can wine and dine while others tussle to play them. Surgery for Andrew Bynum, however, is another matter.

The team disclosed Sunday that Bynum would undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his injured left knee.

Whomever they face, it has long been clear that the Lakers will do so without Bynum.

His surgery is scheduled for Wednesday in New York by Dr. David Altcheck. It will involve cleaning up rough spots in his knee and some fraying underneath the kneecap.

A team spokesman said that the Lakers on Wednesday will release a report of the surgery and estimated timeline of Bynum's return.

Bynum has been out since Jan. 13 because of a bone bruise in the knee and a subluxation of the kneecap -- a brief dislocation that popped back into place.

"It's always been kind of a nebulous area ever since the first couple of weeks after his [injury]; it's always been, is this going to be something that's going to be the end result?" Jackson said. "We hope it's going to be the end result of the knee injury that he had." The Lakers avoided a Game 7 and now can wine and dine while others tussle to play them. Surgery for Andrew Bynum, however, is another matter.

The team disclosed Sunday that Bynum would undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his injured left knee.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has changed his starting lineup twice during his team’s Western Conference semifinal series against the New Orleans Hornets, but he says he will stick Monday night with the unit that prevailed in Game 6 on Thursday. “I don’t really anticipate any change,” Popovich said after the Spurs practiced Saturday morning at their team center on the Northwest Side.

That means Fabricio Oberto will be in the starting lineup for a second-straight game, and Manu Ginobili will start his fifth-straight game at shooting guard.

Popovich also hinted that Ime Udoka had earned another quick call off the bench.

“He’s a tough-minded young man,” Popovich said. “He really has a nice all-around game. You don’t always notice, because he’s not all that athletic. But he rebounds, he makes good passes, he plays the game pretty well, and he’s shooting it pretty well right now.

“For all those reasons, we’re giving him a few more minutes than previously.”

When last season ended, a month later and on a much grander stage, LeBron James said he thought that he needed to make major personal improvements for the Cavaliers to get better.

Sitting in the same position Sunday after the Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals, James said he thinks the improvements now must come in personnel.

After losing to an extremely deep and recently massively upgraded Celtics team, James said he thinks the Cavs need to follow in their path, even after the 11-player trade that they pulled off in February.

''I think what we have is very good, but we need to continue to get better. We know that,'' James said. ''If that means some personnel changes that need to happen, then so be it. The teams around us in the league are continuing to get better.''

The Cavs could have as much as $30 million in expiring contracts to work with in trades. They also will have the No. 19 overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft. As for free agency, they will have the $5.5 million midlevel exception and the $1.8 million biannual exception to use, though their payroll is so high. they probably will look at trade options first.

They'll probably have some problems signing point guards Delonte West and Daniel Gibson, who are both restricted free agents. They won't come on the cheap. Heck, Gibson's agent could ask for the full mid-level. West could ask for $3 million or $4 million a season.

Both Keith Bogans and Adonal Foyle are expected to exercise the option to stay an additional year.

Saunders said Antonio McDyess would most likely start at power forward.

The only other free agent to worry about is unrestricted free agent Devin Brown. After the amount of time he played in the playoffs, he might not want to come back. But that's something you take care of in September.

Thorn said this is a good draft for power forwards and points guards with a couple quality centers. The Nets are looking for virtually everything.

"Obviously, our needs are depth and more shooting," Thorn said, noting the Nets also are looking at someone "to guard the rim" after the team struggled terribly on the defensive end this past season.

College basketball analyst Jay Bilas is proposing the NBA adopt a new rule similar to Major League Baseball: Let high school seniors enter the draft, and require players that go to college stay for a few years.

But under Bilas' idea -- one that several NBA front office officials embrace -- college would be more than a stop for the stars of tomorrow, which is what the NCAA has become since the NBA enacted the ''one-and-done'' rule in 2006.

Tuesday's lottery, which determines the order of the NBA Draft on June 20, is basically a freshman sweepstakes for the Miami Heat. Finishing the season with the worst record assured the Heat of having the best chance to earn the No. 1 pick and a better shot at landing fab freshman power forward Michael Beasley or point guard Derrick Rose -- the projected top two picks.

It doesn't stop there. Seven freshmen could be drafted in the top eight, according to several experts.

Jannero Pargo spun through the air on a one-handed dunk attempt, stuffed himself on the front rim and fell backward onto the court while his New Orleans Hornets teammates buckled over in laughter.

Tyson Chandler, showing no lingering effects from a foot injury last Tuesday, quickly grabbed a ball and mocked the whole sequence - fall included.

If the young Hornets are nervous about tonight’s Game 7 against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, it didn’t show after practice yesterday.

Mike D'Antoni always is smiling, even when carping at referees. That smile will be pasted on all summer if the KnicksNew York Knicks win the lottery Tuesday and assure themselves of selecting point guard extraordinaire Derrick Rose.

It's looking like a two-man draft - Rose and rugged power forward Michael Beasley - but D'Antoni is taking a low-key approach regarding the selection.

"I don't want to lay all my eggs in one basket," D'Antoni told The Post. "But it's important. It can jumpstart us."

D'Antoni will preside on the Secaucus dais Tuesday night at 8 p.m. when the fifth-seeded Knicks find out where they select in the June 26 draft. This is huge, because the free-agency period may be quiet because Donnie Walsh will not offer a long-term mid-level contract and is looking toward clearing cap space for 2010 when LeBron James becomes a free agent.

"They have more at stake in the lottery than any team in the past five-to-seven drafts," said George Rodecker, draft editor of Basketball Times. "If they jump to 1 or 2, they can sell these next two seasons."

During timeouts, Allen was hovering and listening as coach Doc Rivers addressed the team. It wasn't until 2:20 remained that Allen saw his first action of the quarter. He came in for Rajon Rondo with the Celtics protecting an 89-88 lead.

The only points for Allen at that point had come on a second-quarter jumper. He did convert two big free throws with 18.8 seconds left in the game to extend the Celtics lead, 93-88, but his offensive production was minimal.

He was 1 for 6 from the floor and 0 for 2 from behind the 3-point line. His 4 points came in 29:32 of action, his fewest minutes of the series.

Rivers said the numbers weren't there, but he was satisfied with Allen's performance.

"I thought Ray was great tonight," Rivers said. "He had a couple of open shots but they were few and far between. They trapped him every time he had the ball. You know all he did? He made the next pass."

The Pacers won't be big spenders on the free agent market because they are over the salary cap. Pulling off a trade won't be easy, either, because they don't have an enticing roster.

The Pistons are 3-2 on the road in these playoffs, and they've been solid away from home in the postseason for years. If they can pull out one road win, they can shift the pressure onto the Celtics, who are winless on the road in six playoff games.

"Our whole mind-set is to go out there and win Game 1," Billups said. "We win Game 1, then we reevaluate what we're trying to do. But it's all about one game right now."

The Cavs might need to add another shooter and another big man. They do have their own first-round pick, No. 19 overall.

They don't have a second-round pick. That was sent to Phoenix in the Milt Palacio deal a few years ago.

They'll have their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available.

James, who will take a few weeks off and then start getting ready to play for Team USA in the Olympics, said he thinks that his game just needs some tweaks.

''I don't have to reinvent anything; I think I just need to fine-tune some things,'' James said. ''I think I've added some pieces to my game.''

OK, so let's explore why the KnicksNew York Knicks would entertain the two-for-one swap? Yes, Diaw and Barbosa were Mike and Dan D'Antoni's pets in Phoenix. But, guess what, each player has four years left on their contracts; Diaw's deal is for $9M per season, whereas Barbosa is on the books for $6.1, $6.6M, $7.1M and $7.6M. Each owns an option for 2011-12.

Here you thought the game plan of Knicks' president Donnie Walsh is to create cap space leading into the 2010-11 season at which time franchise players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have the right to become free agents.

As currently constituted, the Knicks' payroll for 2010-11 is $47,704,478. Adding Diaw and Barbosa would increase it by $16.1M. Regardless of how much the cap escalates in the ensuing seasons ($6M, maybe, more or less) that doesn't leave nearly enough room to recruit a star of the above-mentioned magnitude.

Forty-one points in what was one of the biggest games of his life.

Forty-one points in a showcase game, going back and forth with LeBron James in a basketball version of two old gunfighters standing on some old dusty street in some old western town, both knowing that only one of them was going to walk away.

Forty-one points in a game that will be long remembered.

“I don’t want to let this opportunity slip by,” said Paul Pierce. “I’ve waited my whole career for this.”

"He just willed his team to victory," said Cleveland's LeBron James. "I know that was the breakout game he was waiting for."

Pierce could have said the same thing about LeBron, the ridiculously precocious 23-year old who scored 45 points. With Pierce scoring 41, there were serious overtones of a much-discussed Game 7 against Atlanta 20 years ago featuring two Hall of Famers fully recognizable by first names only. But this personal shootout will stand on its own merits, given that they combined for a fairly amazin' 45 percent of the points in a 97-92 Celtics triumph that sends them into the Eastern Conference finals against those hardy perennials, the Detroit Pistons.

Pierce was not having a great series. He was held to 4 points in Game 1, and he averaged a mere 14 points a game in the three fruitless trips to Cleveland. The only reason you didn't hear all that much about this business was that everyone was focusing on Ray Allen's astonishing (ongoing) futility.