Looking for a place to watch Kobe and the Lakers take on the Celtics in the NBA Finals? Whether you want your basketball fix at a pool hall or an English pub, a beach hangout or a swanky lounge, there are plenty of local watering holes happy to oblige. The following are some of the area's best sports bars.

>south bay

SHARK'S COVE

>Where: 309 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach.

>Information: (310) 545-2683, www.sharkscovebeach.com.

>The score: Upscale beach-goers gather to watch sports and flirt (though who has time for flirting during a Laker championship run) at this bustling bar and restaurant, where 40 flat-screen TVs (some in the bathrooms) give every seat a view of the game. The menu offers no real surprises (burgers, salads and bar-food-style appetizers) but is surprisingly good. Hint: Try the curly fries.

MR. POCKETS

>Where: 516 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach.

>Information: (310) 372-4343, www.mrpockets.com.

>The score: A 10,000-square-foot facility featuring a full bar, 60 televisions, 22 regulation pool tables - as well as darts, air hockey, ping-pong and foosball tables - this sprawling spot is the biggest of its kind in the area.

>downtown l.a.

FOX SPORTS SKY BOX

>Where: 1111 S. Figueroa St.

>Information: (213) 742-7345, www.staplescenter.com.

>The score: If you're heading to a game at Staples Center - or if you can't get into the game, but want to be around the action - the Fox Sports Sky Box has bar food (nachos, wings, burgers, etc.) and 54 TVs including a 16-footer. It's open on event days only, two hours before tip-off. No reservations - or tickets to the event - necessary.

>hollywood

HOLLYWOOD BILLIARDS SPORTS BAR & GRILL

>Where: 5750 Hollywood Blvd.

>Information: (323) 465-0115, www.hollywoodbilliards.com.

>The score: The original Hollywood Billiards was built in 1916 by film mogul Louis B. Mayer. After being destroyed by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the place was rebuilt at its current location. The sprawling spot is, first and foremost, a pool hall, with 32 tournament-sized tables spread across two floors. As a sports bar, the club broadcasts everything from HBO's live boxing matches to the Fox Soccer Channel on 20 high-definition plasma TVs and several large-screen monitors. Menu items include fried ravioli, jalapeño poppers and blackened catfish.

BARNEY'S BEANERY

>Where: 8447 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

>Information: (323) 654-2287, www.barneysbeanery.com.

>Note: Additional locations at 1351 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, (310) 656-5777; 99 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 405-9777.

>The score: This popular pub/sports bar has multiple TV screens, pool tables, video games and an atmosphere that's remarkably un-Hollywood. As for the food? Barney's has a menu the size of "War and Peace," with more than 200 kinds of beer, more than 100 kinds of burgers and 50-plus types of chili.

>santa monica

BUSBY'S

>Where: 3110 Santa Monica Blvd.

>Information: (310) 828-4567, www.busbysonline.com.

>Note: Additional location at 5364 Wilshire Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 525-2615.

>The score: With red leather booths and a red-lit, wood-paneled interior, Busby's is upscale enough to satisfy lounge lizards while offering enough TVs to appeal to the sports fans. When you're not watching the game, there are pool tables, ping-pong, darts, skee-ball, bumper pool, foosball, backgammon and board games, as well as XBOX 360 games. Menu items include veggie spring rolls, filet mignon salad, a seared ahi sandwich and fettucini Alfredo.

>san fernando valley

THE FOX AND HOUNDS

>Where: 11100 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

>Information: (818) 763-7976, www.thefoxandhounds.com.

>The score: An English pub located amid the bustle of Ventura Boulevard, The Fox and Hounds is the sort of place that caters to everyone from after-work studio executives to college kids. Menu items include chicken curry, shepherd's pie and breakfast served all day.

Melissa Heckscher (310) 540-5511, Ext. 329 melissa.heckscher@dailybreeze.com