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 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.

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.

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.

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.