Denver Disposes of the Lakers

Not conceding that this is a rivalry, the Los Angeles Lakers may have to rethink that attitude after they were thoroughly dumped by the Denver Nuggets, 126-113 at Staples Center. Chauncey Billups (39 points on 12-20, 9-13 from 3-point range, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal) stole the show as he single-handedly poured in 21 points in the third quarter alone. He bombed away with confidence as Laker defenders, Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant flailed away with little effect. As the defense broached tighter and tighter, he simply stepped back farther and farther with equal aplomb and accuracy. Billips got plenty of help from his teammates, who were without the services of leading scorer Carmelo Anthony for the seventh consecutive game due to an ankle sprain. JR Smith (27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), Ty Lawson (13 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal) and Chris “Birdman” Anderson (7 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist) provided plenty of firepower off the bench, outscoring their Laker counterparts, 47-37.

Kobe Bryant (33 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal) scored 20 of his points in the opening period alone yet the Lakers found themselves tied with the Nuggets at 30-30. Pau Gasol (17 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists) and Andrew Bynum (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) were equalled by the Nuggets Kenyon Martin (11 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 blocked shot) and Nene (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot). Former UCLA standout, Aaron Afflalo (11 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound) played dogged defense and hounded Kobe the entire night. In fact, the entire Denver team looked to be more energized and in-tune to the magnitude of the game than the defending World Champions. The Lakers offense wasn’t the problem, it was their inability, or shall we say, avoidance of playing any defense that led to Denver’s “stunning” win.

Denver played with more urgency as if they needed to prove to themselves that they were capable of beating the champs. But it soon became evident what they already knew. That if they played with hustle and aggression, the Lakers would wilt under the constant pressure. The Nuggets took control of the game in the second half, when they outscored the Lakers 67-49. Billups alone pummeled the Lakers in the 3rd period, and as the Lakers tried to regroup, they were unsuccessful in slowing down the All-Star point guard. Denver, sensing that the Lakers were on the verge of collapse, began pushing the tempo and dictating the pace of the game. The Lakers were forced to rely on a shaky outside game as the Nuggets pushed the ball up the court. And when the Lakers took the ball inside, Denver answered with force and meaning. Ron Artest (12 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) found himself close to the basket for a chippie, only to have Joey Graham collar him around the neck, preventing him from scoring. Artest, unappreciative of the extra contact came around with a closed fist but stopped before making any contact. Artest received a technical foul for his actions as Graham escaped without receiving a flagrant foul on the play. As Artest tried to cool off, Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith from the bench taunted Artest some more, clearly amused by his actions as the two couldn’t control their laughter. But by this point in the game, their was nothing funny about how the Lakers were responding or worse yet, failing to respond.

Denver went into the 4th quarter with a 5-point lead after trailing by five at halftime. They would go on a 15-8 run to open the final period for a commanding 109-97 lead. There would be no dramatic comeback or last second heroics tonight. The Nuggets gained a considerable amount of confidence which will only add to their brash swagger. They truly believe that they are better than the Lakers and if not for a few botched plays in last year’s WCF, they could in fact be the champs themselves. Nothing really surprises me about these Lakers. One night they appear invincible, the next, mere mortals unable to compete against the bottom feeders of the league. But one game does not spell doom, although this was a convincing win by a Denver team without its leading scorer. George Karl, for all of the turmoil his locker room presents, is still able to put the product on the floor. And if they can survive the season and the playoffs without strangling one another, the Nuggets may again prove to be the Lakers main Western Conference foe in their way for a return trip to the Finals.