The accolades continue before the Western Conference Finals start!

Posted by LakerStats.com on Wednesday, September 16, 2020

I’ve always used Kobe’s image as part of the avatar for LakerStats on social media, and his picture has always been on the top left of the site, so I won’t have to make any changes to honor him that way on here. All I can say is RIP to all those innocent people who perished, my prayers go out to Vanessa, Kobe’s children, and all the families and friends who lost loved ones. Also best wishes to Laker fans, Kobe fans, and all basketball fans who have been hit hard by this terrible event. Mamba Out…But Never Forgotten!

Andrew Bynum goes up for two against Nuggets.

The Lakers have had their problems in Denver the last few seasons, but righted the ship on Friday with a solid 107-97 over the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

The Lakers rebounded from their embarrassing second half performance in Dallas on Wednesday, with a much better all-around effort against the Nuggets, especially from their frontcourt, which dominated all game long.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Ron Artest scored a season-high 19 points, Lamar Odom poured in 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds, part of a very balanced attack for the world champs. The Lakers got 73 of their 107 points from those four players up front.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 points on 8-15 from the floor, to go along with seven assists and six rebounds.  He also made several critical baskets in the third quarter to help the Lakers pull away.

The game was close throughout the first half, with both teams trading blows.  The Lakers trailed early by seven, but fought back in the second quarter and forged a 41-36 lead.  The Nuggets then went on a 16-8 run to end the half, to take a 52-49 lead to the break, the same three-point lead they held after the first quarter.

But Bryant led the charge in the third quarter, as the Lakers took control of the game, and led 82-72 after three.  In the fourth quarter, the Lakers never let up.   The Nuggets could get no closer, as Los Angeles led by as many as 14 points in the final period en route to the surprisingly easy victory.

The Lakers absolutely destroyed the Nuggets on the glass, 47-27, including 15 offensive rebounds, which gave the Los Angeles 10 extra shots.  The Lakers also shot 53.4% (47-88) from the floor and turned the ball over only nine times.  The good shooting and protecting of the ball didn’t allow Denver to get up and down the court for easy baskets, which has been their trademark against the bigger Lakers.

Denver didn’t shoot poorly at 47.4% (37-78), but hit only 7-21 (33.3%) from the three-point line, and managed to get to the free throw line only 20 times, converting 16.  They lead the league in foul shot attempts, at over 31 per game.

Carmelo Anthony, still in a Nugget uniform, scored 23 points, but shot just 10-24, as Artest made life difficult on the All-Star most of the night, forcing him into tough shots.  Aaron Afflalo had a superb game with 22 points on 8-11 from the floor, including 5-7 from beyond the arc.  Chauncey Billups added 16 points.

The win snapped a two-game road losing streak for the Lakers, and may have been their best win away from Los Angeles this year.   They’re now 15-8 on the road, and have won 11 of their last 14 games overall.

The Lakers’ next game is Tuesday night against the struggling Utah Jazz at home.  The Jazz beat the Lakers earlier this season 102-96 in Utah on November 26th, a game that saw Los Angeles blow a 19-point lead.   Tuesday’s game against Utah will be the first of five straight at Staples Center for the Lakers, as they also face Boston and San Antonio on this homestand.

Link: Lakers @ Nuggets Box Score

The Lakers used a stifling fourth quarter defense to turn a nine-point third quarter deficit into a four-point victory. The Spurs shot only 16.7% (3-of-18) from the field in the final quarter, and Shaquille O’Neal contributed five of his game-high nine blocks in the quarter to seal the win.

Devean George, who kept the Lakers in the game with some early hot shooting, finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 from the field, and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Karl Malone scored 16 and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Gary Payton added 16 points and six assists.

The Spurs led the game in the first half by as many as 15 points, but simply could not hold the lead as the Lakers applied defensive pressure throughout the second half. After shooting over 50% from the field for most of the game, the Spurs finished at only 41.7%, the Lakers at 42.3%. The Lakers also forced 20 San Antonio miscues, turning them into 22 points.

The win was the Lakers seventh in a row, and they now own the season series against the Spurs, who dropped to 9-10 with the fourth consecutive loss. The Lakers are an NBA-best 15-3, 5-3 on the road.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 30 points and 15 rebounds, but he missed all five of his shots in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers finish up their two-game Texas trip tonight at Dallas, where the Mavs will most likely be without All-Star forward Dirk Nowitski, who is nursing a sore ankle.

Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap