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Nuggets even Western finals against Lakers at 2-2

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Sports Writer May 26, 2:00 am EDT

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DENVER (AP)—The Denver Nuggets are so much more than just Carmelo Anthony(notes).

A dominating effort on the boards and a great performance by the bench helped the Nuggets overcome a below-par effort from an ailing ‘Melo on Monday night, when they raced past the Los Angeles Lakers 120-101, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece.

They did it with their star hobbled by a sprained ankle and slowed by a stomach virus that had him hugging the commode before tip-off and getting IVs at halftime.

“Even before I twisted my ankle, with my stomach, I didn’t have my legs early in the game,” Anthony said. “I felt like I didn’t have any energy. Those IVs were a must. They helped a little bit. I’ll be OK for Wednesday.”

Anthony finished with 15 hard-earned points on 3-of-16 shooting, but it hardly mattered because, unlike in Game 3 when his shot also wasn’t falling, his teammates came to the rescue.

Six of them scored in double digits, led by Chauncey Billups(notes) and J.R. Smith(notes) with 24 apiece.

“It was important for everyone to step up,” Anthony said. “We had a bunch of guys step up today. I know the past two, three games our bench hasn’t been as productive as they have been in the playoffs, but tonight those guys stepped up. J.R. stepped up big, Linas Kleiza(notes) came in and hit some big shots, he was just phenomenal out there.”

Kenyon Martin(notes) and Nene each had a double-double as the Nuggets posted their eighth blowout of the postseason but first against Los Angeles following three games that came down to the final seconds.

“They whooped us, period,” said Kobe Bryant(notes), who scored 34 points. “They whooped us on the glass. They whooped us to loose balls.”

They whooped them in every which way as Denver dominated the glass, the paint and the stripe, outrebounding, outmuscling and outhustling the tired Lakers, whose fatigue after their grueling seven-game series with Houston and the quick turnaround to Denver is really starting to show.

“But that’s not a very good excuse,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

The Nuggets beat the Lakers on the glass by 18, outscored them in the paint by 18, beat them on the fast break by 10 and outscored their bench 42-24.

“It just shows we have heart and can play with a man down,” Smith said. “We did a lot this year and kept it up.”

So, the Nuggets didn’t need to worry about a botched inbounds pass in the closing seconds like the ones that cost them wins in Games 1 and 3.

“I had forgotten about that,” Nuggets coach George Karl cracked.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 5 Wednesday night, and the only thing that put a smile on Jackson’s face on this night was the memory of the Lakers’ win 48 hours earlier.

“What we’ve done is we’ve won a road game and brought the home-court advantage back to L.A.,” Jackson said.

Martin had 13 points and 15 boards, Nene pitched in 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris “Birdman” Andersen added 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who outrebounded the Lakers 58-40.

“We got hammered from every direction tonight,” Lakers forward Luke Walton(notes) said.

In Jackson’s view, the hammering went overboard.

Jackson complained about Dahntay Jones’(notes) trip of Bryant in the third quarter, calling it unsportsmanlike.

“I just fell on my face for no reason,” Bryant deadpanned. “I’m a klutz.”

Was Jones playing him dirty?

“Good defense,” Bryant said.

Jackson also griped about Denver’s lopsided 49-35 advantage in free throws, a reversal of Game 3’s 45-31 Lakers advantage.

“Basketball is a game where the aggressor gets the advantage. And tonight we didn’t know what a foul was and what wasn’t a foul,” Jackson complained. “Start of the game, we got guys knocked around going to the basket, they said, ‘We’re going to get those things go.’ By the end of the ballgame little fouls were being called all over the place.”

The game featured four technical fouls and 84 free throws overall.

The Lakers’ only lead was 1-0 on Bryant’s free throw 14 seconds in as Denver led for the final 46:46.

The Nuggets, who haven’t lost back-to-back home games all season, were coming off their first loss in the Mile High City since March 9. They knew they blew a golden opportunity 48 hours earlier by trying for the dagger and misfiring on 22 of 27 3-pointers.

This time, they shot 7-for-24 from 3-point range. One of them was Billups’ pull-up 3 after a steal by Smith that gave Denver an 83-70 lead with 10 minutes to go.

The Lakers and Nuggets had the Pepsi Center to themselves Monday night after World Wrestling Entertainment moved their Monday Night Raw card to the Staples Center in Los Angeles because of the double booking in Denver that WWE chairman Vince McMahon milked for all it was worth.

The fans saw plenty of gripping and grabbing in this rough-and-tumble series. This game featured 55 fouls, and plenty of plays that weren’t whistled but could have been.

Billups said he likes Denver’s chances in Los Angeles, where the Nuggets won Game 2.

“I’m sure the world wants to see Cleveland and the Lakers” in the NBA finals, he said. “You’ve got the best two players in the world, a chance to see them play in a seven-game series. I don’t want to see it. Man, I don’t want to see it. And I’m trying my best not to make that happen.”

Notes

The Nuggets are the first team with three players grabbing 13-plus boards in a playoff game since Utah in 1994 against Denver, but that game went double-overtime. … Denver is closer than it’s ever been to the finals. In their only other trips to the conference championship, the Nuggets trailed 3-1 to both Seattle in 1978 and the Lakers in 1985.

Updated May 26, 2:00 am EDT
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Tue Nov 24, 2009, 9:00 pm EST

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Tue Nov 24, 2009, 10:30 pm EST

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680 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Olivia
    680. Posted by Olivia Wed May 27 12:20pm EDT

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    Hey yeah right...don't be getting mad just because I speak the truht you know I am right..
  2. gwapo
    679. Posted by gwapo Wed May 27 11:08am EDT

    Report Abuse

    martinez_dim!

    your the crapiest one!haha! ur just jealous because the lakers will gonna beat your chicken nuggets.haha

    i can feel it man.i thought lakers and cavs.

    well it is lakers and magic now in nba finals haha!!

    no chance for the nuggets. haha!!

    GO lakers! kobe, prove the "laker hater" that they were wrong! i know you will do that!

    like u did with the rockets.haha! yeah man! i can smell that the lakers will be the nba champions.

    for all the lakers fans lets prove them wrong hahaha!

    yeah! i repeat lakers at 6.

    ~_^
  3. <i>martinez_dim</i>
    678. Posted by martinez_dim Wed May 27 10:32am EDT

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    Los Angeles Lakers are crap!! Kobe carries the whole team, if it wasnt for him they would not where they are!
  4. Drei-kun
    677. Posted by Drei-kun Wed May 27 8:27am EDT

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    Lakers, Lakers, Lakers... 2 of their wins are lucky ones...
  5. gwapo
    676. Posted by gwapo Wed May 27 4:20am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Lol
  6. gwapo
    675. Posted by gwapo Wed May 27 4:09am EDT

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    Lakers at 6.
  7. gwapo
    674. Posted by gwapo Wed May 27 4:08am EDT

    Report Abuse

    to all of you nuggets fans.



    lakers will be in the finals.

    sorry for the nuggets better luck next time haha

    coz i know lakers will finished the series and head to the finals

    and face the magics haha


    GO lakers!

    kobe,pau,andrew,lamar wake up!beat the nuggets!
  8. gwapo
    673. Posted by gwapo Wed May 27 4:06am EDT

    Report Abuse

    the lakers will eat chicken nuggets after they beat the denver "gay" nuggets haha
  9. T
    672. Posted by T Wed May 27 1:22am EDT

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    L.A. gona eat sum chicken nuggets n game 5....@#$% all u chicken nugget lovers....
  10. <i>lc_qcci</i>
    671. Posted by lc_qcci Tue May 26 9:26pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    yeah!!! do your best J.R., Chaunsy, Melo, Martin... I want to see NUGGETS vs CAVS in the FINALS...
    king James is waiting for you ALL....
    HAHAHA!!!
  11. kasper
    670. Posted by kasper Tue May 26 8:51pm EDT

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    Good game Nuggets.. Do your best.. If you don't want to see Cleveland and Lakers in the final round, Make your best shot..
  12. Jose
    669. Posted by Jose Tue May 26 7:56pm EDT

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    lakers need to go inside to pau and bynum, they are unguardable but the lakers are just not goign inside as much as they should. If they go inside they get good shots and also get the big denver frontcourt in foul trouble. Kobe's gonna be great so we don't trip about him. Ariza pretty consistent. Do this and we should be in the finals again. Lakers 2009 NBA World Champions!
  13. G smacktalk
    668. Posted by G smacktalk Tue May 26 7:37pm EDT

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    Me gusta los Lakers. Puro La Raza!!! raiders y Dodgers tambien.
  14. KT
    667. Posted by KT Tue May 26 7:34pm EDT

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    Whoever wins game 5 will win the series. Go Lakers!!!
  15. JohnnyBlue
    666. Posted by JohnnyBlue Tue May 26 7:17pm EDT

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    C'mon What, Nuggs are just better from top to bottom. U've been outplayed in every game this series. Lakers played well last game, its just that the Nuggs played better. The only reason this is a series is bc game 1 was gift-wrapped for u. The Laker legs are still in Houston and another route is in the making. U know ur team is prome for one of their classic let-down games. Like game 7 last series where they went for 89 pts. Nuggs are gonna roll u in ur house and wipe their sneaks on the Laker emblem at mid-court.
  16. what
    665. Posted by what Tue May 26 7:03pm EDT

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    come on mojito the lakers got problems but i dont think the nuggets will take it. Kobe's killer instinct will catch on with the rest of the team and we will win. I know Laker fans are worried but we are not that worried. Take game 5 in L.A. then we might star to panic but... i think the Lakers will win. Gay R smith is streaky at best he is not very consistant thats why he doesnt start and if he doesnt get what he wants or yelled at he is taken out of the game mentally. Im not worried
  17. JohnnyBlue
    664. Posted by JohnnyBlue Tue May 26 6:54pm EDT

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    To Who & What, all the Nuggs have to do is sub out Jones/Smith and sub in Birdman. Nuggs would just run Billups, Melo, KMart, Nene, Birdman at ur Kobe, Ariza, Odom, Bynum, Gasol. U lose. Either that or just go small w/ Billups, Smith, Melo, Kmart, and Birdman. They might give up size in the paint but they would get out and run and spread the floor and create space. Either way u lose. This series is effectively over. Nuggs take next two straight and win in 6.
  18. Shadows
    663. Posted by Shadows Tue May 26 6:14pm EDT

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    As a Lakers fan, I'm getting sick of watching every Laker game in the playoffs wondering which team would show up. You can't win championships if your team is very inconsistent. Only Gasol and Bryant are the only consistent players on this team. Odom and Ariza should start dunking the ball rather than doing this outrageous lay ups that never go in. The Lakers will be eleminated by the Nuggets and the management should thin about acquiring more relibale bench players. The media always talk about the talents in the Lakers line up but in reality, the Nuggets have a much better players. Kobe should think about getting more players involved.
    My advise for the Lakers players and Phil Jackson, make plans for an early demise.
  19. <i>kobe_the_raper</i>
    662. Posted by kobe_the_raper Tue May 26 6:00pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    allowing 20 offensive boards only shows how soft gasoft, odem, and babynum are.. they need to box-out, put a body on birdman and walmart..


    i can't do everything myself.. i'm too tired.. i was busy unleashing my black mamba the night before the in hotel..
  20. <i>kobe_the_raper</i>
    661. Posted by kobe_the_raper Tue May 26 6:00pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    allowing 20 offensive boards only shows how soft gasoft, odem, and babynum are.. they need to box-out, put a body on birdman and walmart..


    i can't do everything myself.. i'm too tired.. i was busy unleashing my black mamba the night before the in hotel..
  21. Megamale
    660. Posted by Megamale Tue May 26 5:58pm EDT

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    This is a very good series,I agree ,whoever wins this series take's the championship. I would like to Nuggets win because,I feel that Kobe is good but overated,He will never be like MJ..The laker always has the money to get the top players,just like some colleges.So let's cheer for some of the in the trenches baller's. If Anthhony does not show up the Lakers win.
  22. what
    659. Posted by what Tue May 26 5:45pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    641-WHO with that starting line up we still got a problem. 1-Bynum gets in foul trouble hes out.
    2-Odom shows up when he wants. When Bynum was out with his injury yeah Odom steped up now hes comeing off the bench he's not showing that same energy. He was supposed to be that guy who comes off the bench and keep the lakers strong. The lakers HAD damn near another starting line up but now they all cant play in the D-league. With the starting 5 now we still cant crash the boards. The lakers biggest problem is HUSTLE. we get out hustled. I know the Lakers will when the series. but can we play that away against clevland or even the magic who got the best big in the game. Phil doesnt look like he cares. After every loss its well we will do better next time, or the refs blew it. What happen to the zen master. Its just disapointing as a laker fan. Shut even magic and kareem and rambis could step in and give us more hustle!
  23. Charles C
    658. Posted by Charles C Tue May 26 5:39pm EDT

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    Hey DCSKATE!!!
    Do you really think the Lakers are losing on purpose...please tell me that I am misreading your post..
    "It really seems like the Lakers are toying with the chicken nuggets minds..."
    Are you kidding me?? Please tell me you are not really a Laker fan...I don't want to be on the same team as you. wouldn't it be great if we could shoot to pick fans like shooting to pick teams??? You'd be last...so we'd let you root for the Clippers.
    What a maroon!!!
  24. LAKESHOW
    657. Posted by LAKESHOW Tue May 26 5:32pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    What occurred up to this point does not matter. Unless Fisher is benched, Odom finds himself, Bynum gets back into the game and the rest of the bench wakes up, the Lakers can start booking vacation travel arrangements.
  25. Charles C
    656. Posted by Charles C Tue May 26 5:21pm EDT

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    Lakers fans...It is now a 3 game series. Do we honestly believe that there is no way the Nuggets can take this series??? Wake up... this is basically the same Lakers team that fell apart against the Celtics last year. And they are playing the same kind of ball they were last season. So I predict 7 games...and have thought so since this thing started. The Nuggets have the components to win...but so do we. Who ever wants it bad enough will take it. If it goes to seven...i pick the Lakers at home. If not I think the Lakers can take it...but will they all show up on the same day...now that's the question. It's hard to win a series playing well every other game. And the Lakers are once again putting themselves in a difficult situation. the Nuggets have shown that they are not going to give it up without a fight. Where is the fight in the Lakers???? Thinking you can beat someone and actually going out and doing it are two different things. Whoever wins the next game will... in my opinion win the series.
    Go Lakers!!!
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Top Performers

 Top Performers
 LA Lakers
K. Bryant Kobe Bryant
10-26,  34 Pts
7 Rebs, 5 Assists
 Denver
C. Billups Chauncey Billups
7-16,  24 Pts
3 Rebs, 3 Assists

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