Game 6: Movin' On Up

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-92, winning the Western Conference Finals 4-2 and clinching a berth into the NBA Finals. The Lakers led early, going into halftime with a 13-point advantage, and never looked back as they out-scored Denver 66-52 in the second-half. LA dominated in rebounds (38-27), assists (28-14), and field-goal percentage (.573-.438). Kobe Bryant had 35 points and 10 assists, and Pau Gasol added 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Trevor Ariza scored 17 points, and Lamar Odom had another stellar game with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points, and J.R. Smith had 24 points off the bench.

Game 5: Lakers Plead the Fourth

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 103-94, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and putting them just one victory away from advancing to the NBA Finals. After both teams tied after each quarter, the Lakers dominated the fourth, out-scoring Denver 27-18 in the final period. LA managed to close the gap on rebounds, and out-blocked the Nuggets 12-4. Denver shot just .386 from the field. Kobe Bryant led the Purple-and-Gold with 22 points, and Pau Gasol added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Lamar Odom had his best game of the series, scoring 19 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 5 shots. The Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 31 points despite shooting 9-for-23. Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin both added 12 points.

Editor's Note: Get Inside

The Lakers faltered in another Game 4 opportunity to take a strangle hold on their rival, this time collapsing to the Denver Nuggets. The key flaw was clear from the very beginning: rebounds. Denver had complete control over the glass, grabbing 58 boards as opposed to LA's 40. The offensive rebounds were even worse, as the Nuggets grabbed a total of 20. The Lakers must improve their inside presence if they want to win Game 5. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum both were out-hustled and lost on the court, and Lamar Odom was a non-factor throughout the game. Chris Andersen exploited LA's front-court, something he cannot be allowed to do again. The Lakers have to do anything to keep Denver from succeeding inside, even if it means using DJ Mbenga. Right now, the Lakers have to find a way to take a 3-2 lead in this series, and not go into Denver on the brink of elimination.

Game 4: Deja Vu Splits Series

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 120-101, evening the series at 2 games apiece. The game was reminiscent of the Lakers' loss to Houston in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, in which LA was clobbered despite holding a 2-1 lead going into the game. Denver grabbed 58 rebounds, 20 on the offensive glass, as opposed to the Lakers' 40. The Nuggets also had 14 more free-throw attempts than LA. All five of the Nuggets' starters scored in double-figures as Denver did not trail since the beginning of the game. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 34 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Andrew Bynum was productive as he added 14 points. Chauncey Billups led Denver to victory with 24 points, and J.R. Smith added 24 points as well. Carmelo Anthony was quiet with 15 points, but his help was not needed as the Nugget bench outscored the Laker bench 42-24.

Game 3: Rocky-Mountain Comeback

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 103-97, taking a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Denver had an 8 point lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers roared back, out-scoring the Nuggets 32-18 in the final period. Trevor Ariza had another game-changing play as he stole an inbounds pass, was fouled, and converted both free-throws to give the Lakers a 4-point lead with just seconds left. LA struggled to convert at the foul line though, going 31-for-45. Denver shot just .393 in the game, missing 22 of 27 3-pointers. Kobe Bryant sliced and diced the Nuggets' defense, scoring 41 points, including a clutch 3-pointer that gave LA the lead for good in the fourth. Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Ariza added 16 points, 9 of which came on 3-pointers. Carmelo Anthony was cooled off, scoring just 20 points before fouling out late in the game, and Chauncey Billups had 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Chris Andersen added 15 points off the bench, and also blocked three shots.

Editor's Note: Lakers Must Be Road-Warriors

This is a tough series, there's no doubt about that. These are two evenly matched teams with evenly matched stats. But that doesn't mean the Lakers can't improve. They can, and it all starts in the frontcourt. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol have become lazy on defense, allowing easy layups and dunks. If they want to win Game 3, they have to clamp down. The fouls are another problem. The Lakers have to limit their fouls in the fourth quarter. If not, Denver can just shoot free-throws all game. The perimiter offense needs to continue its hot streak; 3-pointers can make or break these games since they are so closely knotted up. But most importantly, the Lakers have to show Denver that they have the best road-record in the NBA for a reason.

Game 2: Lakers Can't Repeat

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 106-103, evening the series at a game apiece. The Lakers started off hot, leading by 8 after the first quarter, but the lead fell to just one-point at halftime. Denver stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points to take Game 2 and split the series heading into Denver. The Lakers caught the Nuggets' free-throw bug, going only 27-for-35 at the stripe. The missed free-throws proved to be the difference, as both teams were evenly matched in every category, including rebounds, offensive rebounds, assists, turnovers, 3-pointers, and blocked shots. Kobe Bryant led LA with 32 points, and Trevor Ariza added 20 points and 4 steals, but had a pivotal turnover as he lost the ball after Pau Gasol tipped it to him on a jump-ball with just seconds left in the game. Gasol had 17 points and 17 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 34 points and added 9 rebounds, and Chancey Billups put up 27 points.

Game 1: Lakers Escape Denver's Clutches

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-103, taking an early 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers nearly lost the game, at one point trailing by 13, before they took the lead for good in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer as time expired at halftime to put the Lakers up by one, but Denver came back to take a 2-point lead at the end of the third. LA out-rebounded the Nuggets 46-37, including 17-7 on the offensive boards. Denver's key flaw came at the charity stripe, as they were just 23-for-35. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 40 points, and Pau Gasol added 13 points and 13 boards. Derek Fisher scored 13 as well, and Trevor Ariza grabbed 3 steals, including one on an inbounds in the last seconds with Denver down by two. The Laker bench was outstanding, scoring a total of 27 points as opposed to Denver's 16. Carmelo Anthony ripped LA's interior defense apart as he scored 39 points, and Chauncey Billups added 18 points and 8 assists.

Editor's Note: Breath a Sigh of Relief

Now that the series with the Rockets is over and the Lakers have prevailed, we are given a short day to breath a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, that day ended as I was writing this post. With an unbelievably short amount of time to prepare, the Lakers will play Denver tomorrow to begin the Western Conference Finals. Due to the recent play by both teams, the Lakers do in fact enter the game as somewhat of underdogs. But they can still win, and win handely. Chauncey Billups is good, but not as fast as Aaron Brooks and won't give Derek Fisher fits with his speed. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum stand to have an easy time against Nene Hilario, and Kobe will eat up J.R. Smith. But Carmelo Anthony can be trouble for Trevor Ariza, and the bench will have a tough time containing Chris Anderson. Billups is always a plus, and Kenyon Martin is consistent. The Lakers will not coast through this series, but thanks to Houston, they can be well-prepared.

Bynum's Return Sparks Offense

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets, their 63rd win of the season. Andrew Bynum made his long awaited return from a knee injury, starting and playing 21:05 minutes. The Lakers took 46 free-throw attempts, forcing 32 fouls, as opposed to Denver's 29 trips to the line. LA had 18 offensive rebounds, helping propel the Lakers from a dismal .425 shooting percentage. The Laker bench had another solid outing, scoring 32 points and grabbing 7 steals. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 33 points, and Pau Gasol had 27 points, and a career-high 19 rebounds, 11 of which came off the offensive glass. Bynum had 16 points and 7 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 23 points, and J.R. Smith scored 19 off the bench. Chauncey Billups added 17 points and 8 assists.

Clippers Feel Rocky-Mountain Low

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Denver Nuggets 120-102, their 58th loss of the season. Denver had a .531 shooting percentage, along with 11-for-22 shooting from 3-point range. The Clips were missing Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, Mardy Collins, Ricky Davis, and Al Thornton to different injuries. The Nuggets scored at least 30 points in the first three quarters. Zach Randolph led the shorthanded LA with 22 points and 12 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 8 rebounds. J.R. Smith led Denver with 34 points off the bench, and Carmelo Anthony added 18.

Clips Feel Mile-Low with Loss

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Denver Nuggets 107-94, their 50th loss of the season. The Clippers shot 39% from the field, but forced 23 turnovers. Denver had just 4 three-pointers, but out-rebounded LA 56-30. Al Thornton led the Clips with 19 points and 7 rebounds, and Eric Gordon had 17 points. Steve Novak also had 17 points, and went 5-for-7 from 3-point range. Renaldo Balkman led the Nuggets with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Carmelo Anthony added 18 points.

Lakers Too Exhausted to Win

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 90-79, their 11th loss of the season. The team arrived at their Colorado hotel rooms at 4:00 in the morning, according to KCAL 9 reporter John Ireland. The Lakers shot a season-low .294, the second lowest scoring percentage the team has had since they moved from Minneapolis. LA had only 14 assists and were blocked by Denver 11 times. Kobe Bryant was one of the Lakers' many victims, shooting just 10-for-31, but still scored 29 points. Pau Gasol had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Lamar Odom was the only other Laker to score in double-figures, finishing with 12 points and 19 rebounds. Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith both led the Nuggets with 22 points, and Chris Andersen had 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots.

Clippers Can't Pull Out Win

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Denver Nuggets 106-105 to fall to 2-13. The Clips at one point trailed by 13 points, but came from behind and had a chance to win, but Marcus Camby's buzzer-beater 3-pointer came up short. Eric Gordon led the Clippers with 24 points in his second career start, and Camby had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Newly acquired Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins combined for only 7 points and 5 rebounds in their first games for LA. Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Lakers Breeze Through Denver

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 104-90 to achieve their 10th win of the season. LA, who at one point led by 27, shot .488 from inside the arch. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 29 points, while Andrew Bynum had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had a good game with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals. Chauncey Billups gave Denver 15 points and 9 assists, and J.R. Smith had 18 points.

Weekend Roundup

LAKERS - LA defeated the Nuggets in Denver 104-97. The game was a lot closer than the previous two. Kobe scored 33, while Bynum ejoyed his new extension with 8 rebounds.

CLIPPERS - The Clips lost to Utah 101-79. The Jazz commited only 5 turnovers, while Carlos Boozer had 26 points. Cuttino Mobley had 20 points with 3 rebounds for LA.

USC - The Trojans defeated the Washington Huskies 56-0, their third shutout in 4 games. However, their huge victory earned them a negative 2 in the rankings. They dropped from 5 to 7 in the BCS rankings. USC goes up against the #21 Cal Bears on Saturday.

KINGS - LA lost to the Clagary Flames 3-2. Calgary goalie Miika Kiprusoff had 36 saves, and King skater Oscar Moller made two goals.

Denver Clips LA's Hopes in Overtime

Baron and the Clippers couldn't pull out any magic going into the fifth quarter, losing to the Denver Nuggets 113-103. Not only did the OT loss sting, it also led to team captain Baron Davis being injured. LA had a 72-55 lead late in the third, but lost most of it to a Denver 13-3 run. The Clips had a two point lead with 10 seconds left in regulation, which disappeared in a flash with two Linus Kleiza free-throws. Marcus Camby still is waiting for his debut, hoping it can be Monday's game against the Utah Jazz.