SKIES OVER L.A. PURPLE, GOLD AMID LAKERS FEVER.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

After two weeks of nail-biting NBA playoff games, Lakers hysteria has exploded around Southern California.

Fans are erecting team shrines in their living rooms, snapping up gold- and-purple Lakers jerseys by the bundle and - for the lucky ones - buying courtside seats to the championship series for $13,500 a pop.

As the defending champs head into the NBA Finals tonight against the New Jersey Nets at Staples Center, fans say this year's Western Conference title means more than ever because the team had to fight for it.

Sunday's final playoff game ran into overtime before the Lakers outlasted the Sacramento Kings by six points.

``When the game went into overtime, I was to the point of either vomiting or crying, so I ran to my room and started crying,'' said Jeanie Moak, 46, of Simi Valley, who has transformed her living room into a Lakers shrine. ``But after the crying, there was a lot of screaming when they won. All my neighbors know when the Lakers are winning or losing.''

Moak's living room is filled with Lakers memorabilia - flags, noise- makers, jerseys, posters and pendants.

Her brother, Bill Puntillo of Canoga Park, said Lakers-mania has been a family tradition for as long as he can remember. During Sunday night's cliffhanger, he said, the family gathered at Moak's house to cheer the team on.

``I was pacing the whole time, my sister was in the bedroom holding her head crying, my cousin thought she was going to throw up, and my niece was waving Lakers jerseys and screaming,'' he said. ``We love our Lakers.''

Mike Giordano, 21, of Reseda, a double amputee who plays basketball with artificial legs, said he left his grandmother's birthday celebration early so he could watch the final Lakers-Kings game.

``This is what that game did to me,'' he said, displaying fingernails chewed to the quick. ``I've been a Lakers fan since I was born, and my idol has always been Magic Johnson.''

While the most fortunate Lakers fans made plans to attend tonight's game at Staples Center, others browsed through local sporting goods stores in search of gold-and-purple Lakers memorabilia.

Lakers jerseys, jackets, infant bib and pajama ensembles, magnets, coffee mugs, earrings and even trash cans have been flying off the shelves, store managers say.

However, unlike prior years, sales of those once ubiquitous Lakers vehicle flags have been, well, flagging.

``The biggest sellers this year are the jerseys,'' said Greg Gerber, an employee at Chick's sporting goods store in Woodland Hills. ``But during the playoffs, we'll sell out of a shipment of everything in two days.''

When the Western Conference victory T-shirts arrive this week, some store owners say, they won't even bother to take them out of the box because they'll be sold out in a day or two.

``In the 12 years that I've owned this store, the Lakers are the only championship team I've had here,'' said Scott Damschroder, owner of Scorecard, a sports memorabilia shop on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City.

``When the Lakers won three years ago, it was like a giant was waking up in the city. This year, there's even more emotion because the challenge was greater for the team, and people feel that.''

Even non-native Angelenos with sports allegiances to other cities say they have caught Lakers fever.

Terry Sommerfield, 54, of Sylmar grew up near Chicago and said his favorite sports are hockey and baseball. But, he said, the Lakers are still his favorite sports team.

``Even if you're not from here, you gravitate to the Lakers because they've been so successful,'' he said. ``Los Angeles fans have had a history over the last 10 years of teams not being successful, and finally we have something to be proud and boastful of. We have a winner.''

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(Color) Bryan Moak, left, and his mother, Jeanie, of Simi Valley, show Lakers memorabilia that will be displayed through the NBA Finals, which start tonight at Staples Center.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News