OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Down in desperation time, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks called on Kevin Durant to show that he’s more than just a three-time scoring champion. And that meant guarding one of the NBA’s all-time best.

Durant was up to the challenge, keeping Kobe Bryant from excelling as usual in his closer’s role while sparking the Thunder’s rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left as Oklahoma City scored the final nine points. He also had a crucial steal from Bryant to fuel the rally.

“People talk about how I score the ball,” said Durant, one of only seven players to lead the NBA in scoring three straight seasons.

“They don’t look at me when we go on the other end. I think this whole playoff run, I’ve been picking it up on the defensive end.”

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to rally from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. The Thunder also were down by seven with 2 1/2 minutes left in Game 1 of the first round against defending NBA champion Dallas.

“They won’t quit. That’s not in their DNA,” Brooks said. “They’re not wired that way and if they were, they wouldn’t be here. We’re not going to win every game, but we’re going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight.

“If we would have gotten down on ourselves with 2 minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to L.A. 1-1.”

Instead, Oklahoma City takes a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

Struggling throughout the second half and missing 20 of their first 27 shots, the Thunder came alive after Brooks called a timeout when Bynum’s basket gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant. He then ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end.

Brooks had switched Durant onto Bryant with about 5 minutes left, after Bryant had hit a pair of jumpers as the Lakers started to inch away.

“That wasn’t the game plan going in, but there was a moment when I thought Kobe was starting to fill it and I thought Kevin’s length would bother him,” Brooks said.

That’s exactly how it played out – with the 6-foot-9 Durant using his wingspan to come up with an energizing steal and fast-break chance.

Russell Westbrook then forced another turnover by challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline. Officials originally ruled that it went off Westbrook, but changed the call after seeing on replay that he didn’t touch it and Bryant whiffed on the contested catch.

“What they did the last few minutes there, they just made gambles,” Bryant said. “They just jumped in the passing lanes. It’s something that we’re not accustomed to seeing. It’s just flat-out risks defensively.”

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the Lakers’ next possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant then missed on a 3-pointer and the Thunder got the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen on the offensive end.

“I think Kevin has improved on being a two-way player,” Brooks said. “I think the last three years it’s taken our team to a different level and it takes his game to a different level.”

Steve Blake missed an open 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play.

Bryant, who was the primary option on the play, said Blake’s shot was in the air by the time he turned around to look for an inbounds pass.

“Blake was wide open. We didn’t have any timeouts left and he got a clean look, a really good look,” World Peace said.

“He can knock that down.”

Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose – failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try, but Harden intercepted World Peace’s long pass for Bynum.
Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win. The Thunder had ripped apart the Lakers’ defense with their pick-and-roll attack in Game 1, scoring 119 points in a 29-point blowout.

Pau Gasol had 14 points and 11 rebounds for L.A.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

“We’ve got to win,” Bynum said. “It’s do or die come Friday.”

Bryant almost led the Lakers to a big bounce-back victory in this one.

He drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining. Bryant then answered Serge Ibaka’s jumper before missing his final five shots.

He also had a hand in two turnovers in the final 2 minutes, the first created by Durant’s defense.

“He used his length on Kobe. Coming up with that steal was huge,” Lakers’ coach Mike Brown said. “That’s what great players are supposed to do. They’re supposed to take on the challenge at the end of the game and he did.

“He won the game for them, basically.”

Notes: The NBA fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 on Wednesday for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter. … After making 10 of 15 shots in Game 1, Westbrook was 5 for 17.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) For the second time in less than a week, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers must figure out how to fight back after a humbling loss.

Bryant responded the first time by calling out his teammates for lackluster effort.

It might not be so simple this time.

Russell Westbrook had 27 points and nine assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder blasted the weary Lakers 119-90 Monday night in the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals.

This blowout came four days after Bryant’s Lakers trailed by as many as 28 in a loss at Denver, then bounced back to win Game 7. They’ll need to find some answers before Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

“I’ve seen both sides of that equation and my experience has taught me just to be patient and to think the game through,” said Bryant, who tied Andrew Bynum for the team lead with 20 points.

“We can come up with a different strategy and we can do a much better job and have a much better showing in the next game.”

The Thunder took a 15-point halftime lead, opened the third quarter with a 15-2 blitz filled with crowd-pleasing 3-pointers and dunks, and never looked back. The final margin ended up being the fourth-largest in the history of the Oklahoma City franchise, including its years in Seattle.

It matched the 12th-largest defeat in Lakers postseason history, and the sixth worst of Bryant’s career. Three of those losses came in close-out games when L.A. was done for the series. Once was the start of a four-game sweep. The other two times, the Lakers came back to win the next game – both during their run to the 2000 NBA title.

“We got beat tonight. You can say anything you want to about a seven-game series and us having a day or whatever,” Los Angeles coach Mike Brown said. “The bottom line is this is the playoffs, we’ve got to come to play and we didn’t. We got beat.

“It’s one game, so we’ve got to bounce back for the next one.”

The Thunder didn’t need any dirty tactics to get even for Metta World Peace’s suspension-worthy elbow that gave Oklahoma City’s James Harden a concussion with a week left in the regular season.
The league’s most turnover-prone team – committing 16.4 per game in the regular season – gave it away only four times, a record low for the franchise.

“I think that’s huge,” coach Scott Brooks said. “Four – we’ve had that the first 6 minutes of games at times.”

While the Lakers were making a quick turnaround less than 48 hours after ending the first round, the Thunder had eight full days off following their first-round sweep of defending NBA champion Dallas.

That gave starting center Kendrick Perkins time – but apparently not enough – to rest a strained muscle in his right hip after he hurt it in the final game of the Dallas series. He limped out of the game after dunking just after halftime and did not return – although coach Scott Brooks said he could have. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

The possibility of rust had been a concern for Brooks, and he fought it by alternating light days with demanding, training-camp style practices.

“There’s no question we have a team full of gym rats. They want to play basketball,” Brooks said. “That’s all they want to do: They want to play basketball. They’re basketball players. They probably don’t have much of a life off the court.”

All that pent-up energy came flowing out just after halftime, in highlight-reel fashion.

Durant lobbed the ball to Westbrook for a two-handed slam, then connected on a 3-pointer from the left wing to draw a timeout from Brown.
That still didn’t slow Oklahoma City, which got what could have been a costly two-handed dunk from Perkins on its next trip and then another 3 from Durant before Thabo Sefolosha swiped the ball from Bryant and ran out for a layup that made it 74-46 with 8:39 left in the period.

“From then on, it was cruising for us,” said Westbrook, who had nine assists against one turnover.

Both coaches started going to their benches with 8 1/2 minutes left, and Los Angeles reserve Devin Ebanks ended up getting ejected with 2:18 to play after walking up to a scrum for the ball after the whistle. Official Greg Willard said at the scorer’s table that he was ejected for “what he said” in drawing a technical foul.

“Obviously, they’re more well-rested than we are, but I don’t think it made that much of a difference for us,” Bryant said.

“We could have had the same amount of days off. They’re just younger and faster. And tonight, what you saw is them executing extremely well.”

The buildup to the game focused largely on it being the first meeting between the teams since World Peace got a seven-game suspension for elbowing Harden. He returned just in time to help L.A. win Game 7 against Denver.

A sold-out crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena wasn’t happy to see him back, although World Peace – who changed his name from Ron Artest – was hardly fazed by the chorus of boos that greeted him during pregame introductions or again whenever the ball came his way.
World Peace knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key amid boos the first time he touched the ball, set up a two-handed jam by Bynum and drilled another 3 within the first 2 1/2 minutes.

The boos continued throughout the game whenever he got the ball.

“Right now, it’s about basketball,” World Peace said. “After the season we can talk about that but right now it’s more about basketball.”

Notes: Bryant tied former teammate Shaquille O’Neal for the third-most playoff games in NBA history with 216. … Perkins was called for a lane violation in the first quarter after arguing with Willard about a call and then walking up to his spot along the lane while Bynum was shooting. Bynum made both foul shots when awarded the extra chance. … Toby Keith’s daughter, Krystal, sang the national anthem.

LOS ANGELES — Pau Gasol was consumed by determination, holding off Kenneth Faried with one arm and relentlessly tipping the ball at the hoop with the other in the fourth quarter of Game 7. One, two, three, four — five! — offensive rebounds later, the ball finally surrendered and dropped through the hoop.

A few minutes later, the truth was as undeniable as that 7-foot Spaniard. Although the Nuggets drove them to the brink of playoff collapse, the Los Angeles Lakers still have the tenacity to win on the biggest nights of the postseason.

Pau Gasol wasn’t just good, he was ferocious — he growled after his big plays and pushed back every time the Nuggets tried to push him, ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne writes. Story

Even when Kobe Bryant doesn’t lead them.

Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots, Metta World Peace scored 15 points in his return from a seven-game suspension, and the Lakers outlasted Denver for a thrilling 96-87 victory Saturday night to win their first-round series.

Steve Blake scored a playoff career-high 19 points and Bryant had a quiet 17 points and eight assists against regular double-teams for the Lakers, who blew a 16-point lead in the second half before surviving a finale with wild momentum swings and furious physical play.

With Gasol leading the Lakers’ emotional effort — exemplified by those five offensive rebounds on a single, unbelievable tip play with 7:10 left — the Lakers narrowly avoided becoming the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead.

“We were aggressive,” Gasol said. “We attacked the paint better. We pounded the boards as hard as we could, every single time. … Our backs against the wall also had something to do with it.”

Andrew Bynum had 16 points, a career playoff-high 18 rebounds and six blocked shots for Los Angeles, which must open the second round Monday night in Oklahoma City against the second-seeded Thunder.

Ty Lawson and Al Harrington scored 24 points apiece for the sixth-seeded Nuggets, who committed 19 turnovers and managed just 7-of-27 shooting in the fourth quarter. Arron Afflalo scored 15 points in just the third Game 7 in franchise history for the Nuggets, who have lost in the first round in eight of the last nine postseasons — but never with this much excitement.

“Tomorrow or the next day, when the funk gets out of your body, you’re going to be proud of them,” Denver coach George Karl said. “I’ve never been in a locker room at the end of a season where every guy in front of me, I’m happy with and I’m content with. … The game was so physical. I think their size won over our speed. We gave a great effort. We made them miss enough shots to win, but we just didn’t rebound the ball.”

The Lakers appeared to be in control of the series after a narrow victory in Game 4 last weekend, but the Nuggets rallied for two straight dominant victories. Game 7 was a barn-burner, with both teams blowing significant leads in the final minutes as this stark clash of styles between the physical Lakers and the speedy Nuggets was resolved in the very last minutes.

“It’s tough,” Lawson said. “We played together, and played as a team. Just the way it went down is kind of tough for us. We fought hard and showed a lot of energy. Next year, we’re going to be even better.”

World Peace hit four 3-pointers and energized Los Angeles with tough defense in his return. The former Ron Artest missed Los Angeles’ regular-season finale and the first six games against Denver for viciously elbowing Oklahoma City’s James Harden, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and one of his probable defensive assignments in the next round.

World Peace doesn’t plan to seek out Harden to make peace before the opener, saying he rarely talks to even his friends on opposing teams before games.

“I don’t shake substitutions’ hands,” World Peace said.

Although he also launched 11 3-pointers, hitting four, World Peace used that attitude to help shut down Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller, holding them to a combined 2-for-19 shooting.

“He made plays tonight that won’t show up in the stat sheet that were absolutely amazing for us defensively,” said Mike Brown, who shrugged off Magic Johnson’s pregame pronouncement that the first-year coach’s job would be in jeopardy with a loss. “Just his presence alone helped us out, and that’s what we missed the first six games. … He was monstrous for us tonight.”

With Gasol and World Peace taking the lead, Bryant didn’t dominate with scoring, but his playmaking out of double-teams helped Blake hit five 3-pointers in a row before missing his sixth attempt. The journeyman guard is backing up Ramon Sessions, who managed just four points in the finale of his first career playoff series.

One possession after his five-rebound masterpiece, Gasol put the Lakers ahead for good with a tiebreaking tip-in with 6:30 to play, kicking off an 11-2 Lakers run. Afflalo’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 89-84 with 1:09 to play, but Bryant hit a dramatic 3-pointer before Gasol hit two free throws with 31 seconds left, punctuating them with a sweeping punch of his fist.

The Lakers improved to 15-1 in a Game 7 at home, winning 11 straight since the 1969 NBA Finals. They’ve won three straight Game 7s since losing a first-rounder at Phoenix in 2006, also the last time an NBA team blew a 3-1 series lead.

The Lakers narrowly avoided becoming the ninth team to waste a 3-1 lead after losing two closeout games in the previous four days. Los Angeles had been 12-1 in closeout games since acquiring Gasol in 2008 before stumbling twice against the Nuggets, who led for almost every possession of the past two contests.

Gasol’s focus was obvious from the opening tip. The four-time All-Star had just three points and three rebounds in Game 6, but he played the finale with emotion and aggression, hustling for loose balls and rebounds while demonstratively celebrating baskets and playing to the crowd.

The Nuggets fell behind 62-46 midway through the third quarter, but erased the entire Lakers lead in a furious 6 1/2-minute stretch led by Lawson, who scored 13 points in the period. Denver took a lead on the first shot of the fourth, but the Lakers never trailed after Blake’s 3-pointer with 9:03 left.

Game notes
Bryant is 5-1 in Game 7s in his career. … The Lakers played at home on a Saturday night for the first time all season. Their other two Saturday home dates were matinees. … Fans near courtside included Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg, Julie Bowen, Zac Efron and rapper The Game.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Laker fans were a little uneasy on Thursday afternoon when reports came out that Kobe Bryant missed shoot around prior to Game 6.

The official diagnosis was Gastroenteritis and Bryant was a game-time decision leading up to the game.

However, the ‘Black Mamba’ surprised no one when he suited up and gave it a go. After the game he described his situation prior to tip-off saying, “My [hotel] room resembled a scene from The Exorcist.”

Bryant fought through the stomach virus and scored 31 points on 57% shooting.

However, the Nuggets were too hot for too long as the Lakers dropped Game 6, 113-96, to force a decisive Game 7 at Staples Center on Saturday night.

Game 7 will also mark the return of Metta World Peace after serving his seven game suspension. Bryant was asked how big the return of World Peace would be to the Lakers:

“He’s one guy I can rely on, night in and night out, to compete, play hard with that sense of urgency and play with no fear,” Bryant said. “It’ll feel good to have him at my side.”

Bryant, World Peace, and the rest of the Lakers have no choice but to pull out a win on Saturday night if they want to continue their season. That game is set for 7:30 pm PST and will be televised on TNT.

QUESTION OF THE SHOW: What is your prediction for Game 7, and what Laker other than Kobe will step up in this win or go home situation?

Simply like this video and leave your comment below, and your response may be featured in our next Video!

DENVER — The upstart Denver Nuggets are one win from running the lumberingLos Angeles Lakers and their star-studded cast right out of the playoffs.

Ty Lawson scored 32 points, fellow spark plug Corey Brewer added 18 and the free-wheeling, too-young-to-scare Nuggets forced a Game 7 in their first-round playoff series with a dominating 113-96 win Thursday night.

“This is the biggest game he’s ever played in, and Saturday will be even bigger,” Nuggets coach George Karl said of Lawson, whose 32 points were a career playoff high.

The decisive game is Saturday night at Staples Center, Denver’s first all-or-nothing showdown since losing to Utah in Game 7 of the 1994 Western Conference semifinals. But it would be a mistake to think the young team will cave under the pressure of a win-or-go-home scenario.

The Nuggets have not only held their own against the Lakers, but they have made them look old, not experienced.

Kobe Bryant followed his 43-point outburst in Game 5 with 31 points in 3 1/2 quarters despite a sour stomach that he said left his hotel room “looking like a scene from ‘The Exorcist,’” and that prevented him from attending the Lakers’ morning shootaround and forced him to take intravenous fluids all day.

Bryant’s teammates felt even worse — for letting him down, especially fellow starsAndrew Bynum, who made just four of 11 shots for 11 points, and Pau Gasol, who was 1-for-10 for three points with three rebounds.

Asked whether he felt his teammates had matched his heart, Bryant retorted, “No, of course they didn’t.”

“We didn’t step up and meet [the Nuggets'] energy,” Bryant said, and by “we” he meant Bynum and Gasol. “They know that. I expect them to come out Game 7, and play with a sense of urgency and a sense of desperation that wasn’t there the last two games.”

If not, the Lakers will be hitting the links next week instead of the boards.

“Kobe being dehydrated and all that and sick as a dog, coming out and trying to will us to a win, it’s disappointing to watch him give that type of effort … and we don’t get it from everybody,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “Our second- and third-best players are Drew and Pau, and the reality is both of those guys got to play better in order for us to win.”

Bryant said he was eager for Metta World Peace’s return to the lineup Saturday night. The fiery forward served the final game of his seven-game suspension for elbowing Oklahoma City’s James Harden in the head last month. He’s been practicing with the Lakers but left the arena before games.

“I expect him to come out and play with the tenacity that he’s known for,” Bryant said. “He’s the one guy that I can rely on night in and night out to compete and play hard and play with a sense of urgency and play with no fear. So, I’m looking forward to having him by my side again.”

If that was another shot at Bynum and Gasol, so be it. Bryant was loud and clear over his disgust with their lack of effort, energy and effectiveness.

“I talked with Pau a little bit after the game; I’ll speak with Andrew, too,” about performing better both physically and mentally in Game 7, Bryant said.

Bryant took a seat for good with Los Angeles down 101-73 with 7:52 remaining.

The younger but deeper Nuggets have won three of four since dropping the first two games in Los Angeles, and they did it by once again outrunning and outgunning their more talented counterparts who prefer a half-court game and not the frenetic pace and pickup-game style employed by the Nuggets’ greenhorns, who are on their second major makeover in 15 months.

The Nuggets got another great game from rookie Kenneth Faried, who provided even more energy as well as 15 points and 11 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller each had 12 points for Denver, which led 90-68 heading into the fourth quarter.

Brewer iced this one by scoring 11 straight points for Denver to start the fourth quarter, an array of dunks and jumpers that gave the Nuggets their biggest lead at 101-73, and forced the Lakers to throw in the towel and try to rest up Bryant, Bynum and Gasol for Game 7.

Bryant finished the first half with 19 points, but he started out slowly and so did the Lakers, who fell behind 13-0 before Bryant scored more than 3 1/2 minutes into the game.

“They blitzkrieged us at the start of the game,” Bryant said.

Lawson hit all four of his 3s as the Nuggets jumped to a 23-8 lead.

“After I hit my first shot, that’s all I needed was a little confidence,” said Lawson, who hit 13 of 18 shots 24 hours after flying in his shooting coach, Las Vegas-based Ivory Manning, to fix a flaw in his mechanics.

Lawson also scored 19 points in the first half, his basket at the halftime buzzer giving Denver a 54-45 lead after its 15-point cushion had been trimmed to four on Gasol’s only basket, a hook shot that brought the Lakers within 47-43.

Bryant was lumbering a bit on defense, where he got away with several grabs in the first half. In the opening minutes of the third quarter, he was whistled for a flagrant foul after smacking Faried in the head while trying to prevent a fast-break basket.

Although Bryant explained afterward he was going for the ball, and expressed regret over the foul and thanks that Faried wasn’t hurt, the hard foul fired up the Pepsi Center crowd, as well as the Nuggets.

It came during Denver’s 9-0 run to start the second half, a spurt that doubled its nine-point halftime lead in less than 3 minutes and sapped whatever energy the Lakers had left.

Before long, the building was rocking in a blowout as Lawson scored basket after acrobatic basket and the “Beat L.A.!” chants grew ever louder.

Lawson’s 3-pointer from the top of the circle at 1:22 made it 90-65.

Bynum irked the Nuggets by saying on the eve of Game 5 that “close-out games are actually kind of easy,” and the Nuggets found more motivation in something written in the Lakers’ locker room after the game Tuesday night. Scribbled on the grease board was this message: “Flight. 3 pm. Pack for 3 games.”

Brown explained that it only made sense to pack for an extended trip because the next round will start in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have the home court to open the conference semifinals. But he denied the Lakers were victims of overconfidence, just poor execution.

Indeed, it’s the Nuggets who are walking tall now.

“They played with confidence and swag,” Bynum said.

Two things that the Lakers have misplaced.

Game notes
Earlier Thursday, Nuggets reserve C Chris “Birdman” Andersen was excused indefinitely from all team-related activities after Douglas County sheriff’s deputies searched his home as part of an investigation by the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit. … Lawson’s previous playoff best was 27 points against the Thunder on April 25, 2011. His career high is 37 points.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Game 5 was yet another classic game for Kobe Bryant.

He scored in double digits for the 164^th consecutive playoff game, He finished the night with 43 points, which is the 12^th time he has scored at least 40 points in a postseason game.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 15 in the 4^th quarter. That’s when Bryant went all “Black Mamba” on the Nuggets hitting four three pointers. 14 of his 43 points were scored in the final period.

The thrilling Game 5 at Staples Center had everything a Laker fan would want except a win.

Bryant missed a three that would have sent the game into overtime in the games final seconds. The Lakers got another shot as Steve Blake got the rebound and kicked it out to Ramon Sessions for a three which hit off the rim just short.

The Lakers fell to the Nuggets in Game 5 102-99. The Lakers lead the best of seven 3-2.

Nuggets Head Coach George Karl said after the game, “Thank god we had a big enough lead, Kobe scares the hell out of me”

After the game Kobe said the Lakers didn’t deserve to get the win:

“I used to have a coach that said the basketball gods did not allow us to win this game today because we didn’t deserve it,” referring to former head coach Phil Jackson. “That’s what I’ll hang my hat on.”

The series continues as Game 6 will be Thursday up In Denver at 7:30pm PST and will be televised on TNT.

Led by Andre Miller (24 points, 8 assists) and JaVale McGee (21 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks), the Denver Nuggets survived a late scoring spree by Kobe Bryant (43 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) to win, 102-99.

With the win, the Nuggets pull closer to evening the series, down 3-2.  Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday in Denver.

Quarter 1:

·      Kobe only 1-4 to start, Denver looking to run out on the long misses.
·      Gallo coming out firing, 2-4 from the field.
·      Lakers start 3-12 from the field, shaky at the FT line as well.
·      Faried beats the Lakers down court, has 8 points on 4-4 shooting.
·      Denver up 18-15 with 3:30 remaining.
·      Not much ball movement from the Lakers, only 2 team assists.
·      Kobe struggling from the perimeter finishes 3-10 for the quarter.
·      After 1 Qtr: Nuggets 26 Lakers 23.

Observations:

·      Lakers only shooting 9/26 from the field and have only 4 team assists.  Too many isolation plays is killing the offense.
·      Sessions playing passive: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 assists.
·      Faried is an animal out there, 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Quarter 2:
·      The Lakers offense continues to stall, no ball movement, constant over-dribbling.
·      Barnes has struggled with his shooting, but continues to hustle on the boards.
·      Nuggets without a FG for the last 4 minutes, 1 for their last 11 is Denver.
·      Blake sparking LA with a quick bucket and assist to Barnes.
·      Back to back threes by Denver gives them a 6 pt lead, 35-29.
·      Lakers are having success when they attack the basket, Barnes scores again off of a cut, 8 pts now for Barnes.
·      Kobe ditching the jumpshot, attacking the basket now, up to 9 FT attempts.
·      At Halftime: Nuggets 49 Lakers 43.

Observations:
·      Lakers continue to struggle from 3, 0-6 on the night.
·      Blake, Barnes, and Hill added hustle to a stagnant Laker squad, each pulled down 4 rebounds in the quarter.
·      Lakers big 3 have been sub-par from the field: Kobe is 5-13, Bynum and Gasol a combined 3-12.
·      Bryant was able to manufacture points from the line (8-9), up to 18 points.
·      McGee is once again playing Bynum tough.  ‘Vale has 7 points and 8 rebounds while Bynum has 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Quarter 3:

·      After 2 early Laker buckets, the Nuggets go on 10-0 run.
·      Nuggets up 59-47, Lawson and Gallo leading the charge.
·      Lakers respond with 5 quick points, down 7. Nuggets 61 Lakers 54.
·      Nuggets guards daring the Lakers guards (specifically Sessions) to shoot.  They’re moving under all screens and collapsing on the bigs early to prevent entry passes.
·      Bynum picks up a T for the push on Fareid, maybe that will wake him up.
·      Kobe scores 9 of the last 11 Laker points to pull the Lakers within 3.
·      Nuggets close the quarter on a 10-2 run, thanks to McGee and Miller.
·      After 3: Nuggets 76 Lakers 65.

Observations:
·      Kobe is heating up, shot 4-7 in the quarter.
·      Matt Barnes is second to Kobe with 14 shot attempts.  Something is very wrong here.
·      Lakers are 2-12 from 3, pathetic.

Quarter 4:
·      No rest for Kobe, misses 3 of 4 to start the quarter.
·      Miller to McGee for a dunk, an unexpected but deadly combo.
·      JaVale Mcgee is destroying the Lakers front line, 19 points 12 rebounds on the night.
·      Denver 90 LA 75.
·      Kobe hits a 3, Lakers down 92-82.
·      Gasol and Bynum coming alive, 9 combined points helps pull the Lakers within 7.
·      Kobe again for 3!
·      Miller posts Blake, easy score, no help from the Laker bigs.
·      Kobe with another 3! En Fuego!
·      Kobe hits his 4^th 3-pointer of the quarter, vintage Bryant.
·      Kobe misses a 3 to tie it, Nuggets 99 Lakers 96.
·      Lakers foul, FT parade time for the Nuggets.
·      Final: Nuggets 102 Lakers 99.

Observations:

·      Miller and McGee scored 10 of  the Nuggets 14 point to start the quarter, pushing their lead to 15 over LA.
·      Kobe went berserk, canning 4 consecutive 3-pointers to bring the Lakers within 3. KB finished with 43 points.
·      After shooting only 2-12 on 3-pointers through 3 quarters, Lakers score 18 of their 34 4^th quarter points from distance in the final quarter.
·      To sum up tonight’s game, the Nuggets played with focus and intensity for 4 quarters, the Lakers for only 1.  If it wasn’t clear before, the Lakers realize now that the Nuggets aren’t going to fold and that team-wide contributions from the stars down to the role players (see game 4) are in order before they can begin to think about Round 2.

DENVER — Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum put up their usual big numbers. Their supporting cast came up even bigger, sealing the Los Angeles Lakers’ 92-88 victory over Denver on Sunday night that put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination.

Bryant had 22 points and Bynum added 19 to help the Lakers overcome a six-point halftime deficit and take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series that they can wrap up Tuesday night when the series shifts back to Staples Center for Game 5.

Sixth-man Jordan Hill had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and recently acquired guard Ramon Sessions and reserve point guard Steve Blake each hit crucial 3-pointers in the final minute as the Lakers broke free.

Those were the players the Nuggets preferred had the ball in crunch time, and Bryant wasn’t at all hesitant to oblige.

“Sessions has hit big 3s. Even when I was out he hit some big 3s to win games. He did it again tonight. I have confidence in him,” Bryant said. “If you’re observing the game in the third quarter I hit Sessions for an open shot, Blake for an open shot and (Matt) Barnes for an open shot and they missed all three of them. George (Karl), being observant as he is, saw I was (ticked). I was and didn’t think I would trust them at the end of the game to knock down those shots, but they stepped up and knocked them down.”

With the game tied at 86, Danilo Gallinari was covering Bryant when a hard screen from Pau Gasol sent the Italian to the floor grabbing his throat. While Gallinari stayed down, Sessions’ 3-pointer from just in front of the Nuggets bench put the Lakers ahead 89-86 with 48 seconds remaining.

“It was a tough pick, you’ve got to expect that in the playoffs,” Gallinari said. “I’ve got to be ready and play defense. Unfortunately, they hit a big shot out of that.”

Andre Miller was whistled for basket interference at the other end, and Bryant found Blake for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 18.9 seconds left for a six-point cushion, L.A.’s biggest of the night.

Blake got a bear hug from Bryant during the 20-second timeout.

“Those moments don’t scare him,” Bryant said.

“It’s always good when you get a hug from Kobe. It means you did something right,” Blake said. “It was a total team effort for us tonight.”

Sessions, whose acquisition from Cleveland this spring led to the trade of five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, finished with 12 points, and Blake had 10.

“They got the two 3s to go down at the end of the game,” Karl said, “but conceptually what we’re trying to do at the end of the game is not let Kobe, Bynum and Gasol beat you.”

Instead, it was Sessions, Blake and Hill that did the damage.

Gallinari led the Nuggets with 20 points, and Miller had 15.

After torching the Lakers for 50 points combined in the previous two games, Ty Lawson was held to 11 points and Nuggets big men Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee weren’t nearly as effective on offense or disruptive defensively as they were in Game 2, when they combined for 28 points and 30 rebounds.

Together, they had 14 points and 11 rebounds Sunday.

Bynum, who blamed his scoreless first half 48 hours earlier on failing to properly prepare in the pregame, was much more active early on, scoring 11 in the first half, which ended with the Lakers trailing 51-45.

Al Harrington scored nine points in his return to the Nuggets’ lineup. He started out with a clear face mask protecting his nose that was broken Friday night by an inadvertent elbow from Bynum, but he ditched the mask in a matter of minutes.

Harrington missed his first six shots but then sank four straight, including a 3-pointer that put the Nuggets ahead 76-75 early in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets, who have hung tough since getting blown out in the series opener, face a daunting task of winning three straight, including two at the Staples Center, where they never led in Games 1 and 2.

“Losing always gets old. Losing is not fun. I’m not unhappy with my team, I’m not happy with where we’re at, but we still have a series to play,” Karl said. “I don’t think it’s an impossible challenge. I think it’s a great challenge for this young team. For me, I’ve been blessed with having great runs in the playoffs and I think I probably have one or two more left in me in my lifetime. I’d like to see it come this year.”

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

The Lakers dropped Game 3 up in Denver on Friday night 84-99. The Lakers still lead the best of seven series 2-1.

However, Bryant was still in a playful mood after the loss, as he decided to poke a little fun at Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari when he was asked the reasons why the Lakers lost game 3:

“We shot 6 for 25 from the three point line we can’t do that.” Bryant said. He would then say sarcastically, ”And Gallo’s defense was exceptional.”

After making a room of reporters laugh, Bryant then chuckled and walked off the podium.

The Black Mamba is clearly not concerned with the defense of Galinari as he is averaging over 30 points per game in the series.

The concern for some Laker fans however was Andrew Bynum.

Bynum admitted that he wasn’t ready for Game 3 in Denver leading to a scoreless 1^st half.

Bryant was asked if he was angered by the admission:

“No, the first step to improving as a player is admitting to yourself that you’ve done something wrong and (knowing) how to correct that. I do the same thing, too. I just don’t tell you guys.”

Bynum made it clear on Saturday that he will be ready for Game 4 which tips off tonight at 6:30pm PST and will be televised on TNT and KCAL channel 9 locally in Los Angeles.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 99-84 in game 3 of their 1^st round playoff series.

Denver was led by Ty Lawson, who finished with 25 points and 7 assists, and energized by the improved play of JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried, who combined for 28 points and 30 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed in the 1^st half by as many as 24 points, primarily due to their inability to stop Lawson’s dribble penetration, which led to either a layup or an open 3 from the Nuggets shooters.  Further, LA was outhustled early where they were outrebounded 17-6 overall and failed to register a single offensive rebound by the end of the 1^st quarter.

Kobe Bryant finished with 22 points (6-23 shooting) , 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Andrew Bynum bounced back from slow 1^st half start to score 18 points and grab 12 rebounds.

The Lakers maintain a 2-1 series lead, with game 4 scheduled for Sunday.

Quarter 1:

• Ebanks for 3, nice kickout by Bynum.
• Nuggets running aggressive doubles at Bynum on the catch.
• Gasol missed 2 open midrange shots.
• Kobe with great footwork, pivot and lay-in.
• Nuggets are outhustling LA early on the offensive boards.
• Ebanks scores with the assist from Kobe off of a nice give and go cut.
• Kobe looking sharp early on 2-3 shooting.
• Afflalo and Lawson leading a scoring spree, Nuggets are on a 9-0 run. Nuggets 19 Lakers 12.
• Lawson continues to attack, drawing FTs.
• More Ty Lawson: this time with a fadeaway over Blake.
• How is Kobe not shooting FTs on that foul call? ..clearly a shot attempt.
• At the end of the 1^st quarter: Nuggets 30 Lakers 14.

Observations:

• Denver playing with a sense of desperation, outworking LA on the offensive boards, 6-0, and 17-6 overall.
• Lawson is getting to the basket at will, minimal resistance from the Laker guards and frontline.
• Bynum and Gasol off to slow starts, combining for 3 boards in the 1^st. Bynum is also scoreless.

Quarter 2:

• Lawson continues his scoring assault, 16 points and 4 assists in 14 minutes. Ouch.
• Sessions laying bricks early from the perimeter.
• Nuggets 41, Lakers 21.
• Blake with a 3 off of a nice penetration from Sessions.
• Sessions hits Barnes on a semi-break.
• Kobe hits a 3 off of a drive/kick from Blake.
• Kobe attacks off of a Denver TO, draws FTs.
• Denver 43, LA 31.
• Jordan Hill is all hustle, tossed to the ground after an offensive rebound, calls a timeout before the tie-up.
• Kobe for 3 with the shot clock winding down, Lakers down 11.
• Jordan Hill owning the boards, Lakers D is starting show up, Blake draws a charge on Miller.
• McGee just scored on Bynum, which should never ever happen.
• Denver 47-Lakers 34
• Sessions picking up his aggression, 5 points in the quarter and some nice assists.
• At Halftime: Nuggets 55 Lakers 39.

Observations:

• An early 3 pt barrage by Denver opened up a 24 point lead.
• Sparked by Jordan Hill, LA tightened up defensively, key 3-pointers by Kobe and Blake is making the deficit manageable.
• JaVale McGee outplayed Bynum in the 2^nd, outscoring him 4-0 and outrebounding him 4-2.
• At the half, McGee has 8 pts and 9 rebounds, and Faried has added 6 pts and 10 rebounds.
• Denver just crushing LA on the boards, 31-18.

Quarter 3:

• Sessions with a court length feed to Gasol for the jam, Denver 55 LA 43.
• Bynum scores with a baseline hook, 10 pt game.
• Sessions with a monster jam down the lane!
• Kobe wins a jump ball then hits a 3 with the shot clock winding down. Den 61 LA 50.
• Ty Lawson scores. Again.
• Bynum scores again off of a beautiful feed from Kobe.
• Gasol can’t shoot tonight, but running the floor like a mad man, dunks off of a Bynum pass.
• Kobe to Bynum again, and-1! Den 67 LA 60.
• Bynum scores off of Kobe’s miss, down 4 J
• Miller scores a layup.  At the end of 3: Den 72 LA 65.

Observations:

• Lakers defending with purpose, limiting Denver in transition
• Gasol’s jumper is broke…hasn’t made an open J all night
• Lakers are now focused on both ends, the offense is coming to life.  Bynum is scoring, Kobe making plays for others.
• Triple Double Watch: Sessions with 9 pts, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

Quarter 4:

• McGee has been going toe-to-toe with Bynum tonight scoring off of a putback
• Lakers down by 9 after Gasol fell asleep on a Faried run out
• Bynum late to pass out of the double, TO
• Sessions hits a pull-up J, nice all-around game tonight
• Faried with a monster jam, no contest by the Lakers D.
• Bynum with another TO, leads to a fast-break finish by Andre Miller.  Lakers down 11.
• Finally, Gasol hits a J..3 pointer, Den 80 LA 72.
• Kobe 6-20 tonight, 1 for his last 8.
• McGee now has 16 pts and 13 rebounds. Stunned.
• Bryant “fouls” Gallo. Rubbish. Denver 86, Lakers 76
• Miller seals it with a 3, extends lead to 12
• Final Score: Nuggets 99, Lakers 84

Observations:

• Gasol has been brilliant in the transition game and passing department, but awful defensively.  Faried is eating his lunch.
• Bynum with 2 key turnovers to help Denver push their lead back to double digits.
• With the exception of a Miller jumper, Nuggets have scored all of their 4^th qtr points in the paint with 5:12 remaining.
• Kobe couldn’t buy a shot in the 2^nd half.

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