Series in Six

If you’re a fan of the Denver Nuggets, you woke up with the disappointing news there would be no Game 7. Denver was dropped and denied a trip to the NBA finals when they were defeated by Los Angeles, 119-92. The Lakers dispatched the Nuggets and return for the second straight season to the finals. L.A. did so by finally hitting their stride, bouncing and beating up a Denver team that simply lost their steam. The Lakers exercised with an attestation of attrition and the Nuggets neglected to normalize.
The bar was set high for Los Angeles heading into this season after a championship series loss to the Boston Celtics. Kobe Bryant and his teammates will have a second chance to capture a title for the Lakers and accomplish what they couldn’t do last year. The only obstacle they have to confront is the NBA Eastern Conference winner, either Orlando or Cleveland. Whichever team the Lakers face, they will be a well-rested team.
The Denver series was closer than some predicted to begin, but ended with the Lakers snowballing Denver in Game 6’s lopsided win. Bryant extinguished Denver by striking up MVP-like performances. After luring a Game 1 two point victory, Los Angeles fell to Denver 106-103 in Game 2. The Lakers shook off a loss and took control of the series in Game 5, playing their best basketball in the final twenty minutes of a 103-94 win. Game 3 put the Lakers back up by a game. The teams tipped off and clashed in Denver for Game 4. The Nuggets were the better team that game with a defining 120-101 slapping. Game 5 proved the Lakers had smarter players and Denver lacked an ability to close out games. Los Angeles won 103-94 to rectify the bad taste of Game 4’s Denver drubbing. With energy and discipline, the Lakers played outstanding again in the clinching Game 6 Friday night. There was no orchestrated comeback for the Nuggets this time.
Bryant scored 35 points, had 10 assists, 6 rebounds and one block in 42 minutes. Pau Gasol, playing the same amount of time as Kobe, had 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, one block and 3 steals for L.A. The two scoring stars got plenty of help from the other players. Including Bryant, three other Lakers scored in double digits. Lamar Odom added 20 points and an assists. Odom had 8 rebounds, including three on offense. Trevor Ariza chipped in with 17 points and went 3 of 4 from 3 point range. Transfixed Trevor hounded Denver’s, Carmelo Anthony. Ariza ascended with an assault, knocking and blocking the All-star Anthony. Luke Walton gave the Lakers 10 points from the bench, which included an uncharacteristic dunk over ‘Melo. The L.A. bench outscored the Nuggets bench 40-34. The Lakers shot over 57% from the field and 100% from the line.
Bryant berated the Nuggets and created a buzz when the Lakers went on a 21-7 run just before the half. His 11 points during the drilling took the air out of the Pepsi Center crowd and placed Denver in an arduous 53-40 hole. The Nuggets replenished after halftime and trimmed their deficit late in the game to 79-67. But it was Bryant stepping up again to show Denver the door. I am possessed by Bryant’s incredulity on the court. The Lakers replied with a 9-0 run and Kobe restored the team with seven straight points to make it 101-82. Kobe went 12 of 20 from the field and 9 of 9 at the charity stripe. The greatest clutch player in the NBA continues to perform at an unreachable utmost level.
The Nuggets made crucial mistakes and botched shots in Games 1 and 3. The games could have gone either way. Last night, there was no question which club was deserving of a trip to the NBA Finals. Anthony put up 25 points but only had a pair of rebounds and assists. J.R. Smith missed 5 three pointers of his 9 attempts, but scored 24 points in the Nuggets loss. Kenyon Martin turned in 13 points, and Chauncey Billups attained 10 to complement his 9 assists. Denver trailed most of the game and never mounted a serious charge in Game 6. They did shoot 80% from the line and finished 8 of 19 from the arc, but lost their eighth consecutive playoff elimination game by an embarrassing mark. So now it’s the Lakers who prevail and reach their record 30th final.
The Lakers executed well in the final two games of this Western finals series. They somehow cemented the cracks the Rockets and Nuggets exposed during these early rounds. L.A. looks like the best team in the NBA and a threat to thrash their next opponent. All the players did their part against Denver. Los Angeles controlled the match-up between the two benches, got another gorgeous game from Bryant, and more mobility from the defense. Bryant was poked all night by Denver defenders but still elevated from the perimeter to release shots. Odom, for the first time in the playoffs, had back-to-back performances worthy of praise. The Lakers are a better team overall when Odom is in the starting lineup. The 6’10” 29 year old hasn’t been a consistent force for Phil Jackson and was criticized for disappearing on his team last year. The resurgent Odom was hard for Denver to contain. The Nuggets also ineffective neutralized Gasol. Pau was an L.A. spark during Friday’s rout, and really has been oppressive this entire playoff run. The workhorse visibly confused the vulnerable Nuggets from down low and played well on the defensive front with 12 rebounds. Walton had a breakout game and took advantage of a porous, non-committal defense with wide-open jumpers. He was one pesky Pepsi Center presence.
The purple and gold defense never allowed Denver to get aggressive on offense. The Nuggets were excused last night because they barely showed up or creating contact. Anthony and Billups missed their targets. Chris Andersen was arid and Nene never took off. The Nuggets, at times, looked overexcited and unfocused. Denver put up a good fight in the first four games. The befuddled Nuggets did not get the inbound passes to put them over the top in the first two losses, and did not get a balanced attack in either of the final two defeats.
The Lakers dominated the glass and took care of their end of the court. L.A. will be a tough out for Orlando or Cleveland for NBA supremacy if they continue to pass the ball to players not named Kobe. Odom makes an impact just by being active and energetic. Gasol can capture close-out moments. Ariza is a proven shining player. Sasha Vujacic has athletic attributes ready to be showcased. Walton is a resilient role player with more to prove. Jordan Farmar embodies an attractive young talent. Andrew Bynum has glaring skills and ball-handling tactics. Bryant’s buckets are a winning requirement but sharing the workload give the Lakers are chance to make those momentum-shifting runs during the game. Los Angeles has respectable talent around their best player. Bryant is two titles shy of Michael Jordan. Jackson’s Lakers have been a playoff mainstay for years. Maybe this is the year L.A. wins it all again. It certainly looks like their time and I think there is still room in Jackson’s trophy case.

Parting points: It was a crisp morning, but I just had a blissful bike ride.