Laker Nation

This game was intense to say the least, and in all fairness a game the Lakers probably should have lost. From tip off to pretty much the end of the game, the Nuggets as a whole played much better than the Lakers.

The Nuggets shot the ball better and were more aggressive, forcing the Lakers into poor shots and causing them to turn the ball over much of the first half. They were also able to get to the line far more than us tonight.

Before the foul game at the end, it was 29 to 11 attempts favoring them.

On a positive note, the Lakers depth showed why Denver will have trouble in this series. Our bench ended up outscoring theirs 27 to 16 for the night, and although none of them scored in double digits, it was a nice balanced attack and got the job done. The bench was the reason for the turnaround in the first quarter.

In the end, though, it was some defense stops and some clutch free throws by Kobe that helped us steal this game from Denver tonight.

Player of the Game: Do think Kobe think heard what Jerry West said? He finished with 40 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, a block, and only 1 turnover. Not bad for know longer being the best.

Play of the Game: Ariza’s steal on the inbound pass could have been the play that saved this series.

What’s Up Next: Game 2 is on ESPN at 6:00 on Thursday night. For being undersized, the Nuggets starting front court outperformed and outscored ours 68 to 25. Look for our big men to play much better than they did tonight.

Ticket Info: Steve Avery had off tonight, but Game 2 tickets are still on sale. E-Mail him at Steve@AveryTickets.com or call 213-221-7681 and mention TLN for tickets.

And as always, Go Lakers!