spurscenter
05-24-2009, 04:07 AM
By Ryan Thorburn
DENVER — Vince McMahon is smiling somewhere in Los Angeles.
On Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, E. Stanley Kroenke -- by the way Vince, the E. stands for Enos -- had to feel like he was hosting a World Wrestling Federation event after all.
"It seemed like the referee wasn't ... we weren't getting good consistency with the whistle," Nuggets head coach George Karl said.
"It was kind of a ragged game in many ways," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said.
"It was a choppy game," Kobe Bryant said.
"It happened ... I got my sixth foul," Carmelo Anthony said.
The first Western Conference Finals game in Denver since 1984 was uglier than Randy "The Ram" Robinson after a steel cage match.
There were 55 fouls called, including five technicals. The Lakers missed 14 free throws, but attempted 45. The Nuggets were 26-for-31 from the line, but just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
And, in the end, 24 hours after the nation witnessed LeBron James rescuing Cleveland from a potential 0-2 hole vs. Orlando with a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, Bryant scored 13 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to will the Lakers to a 103-97 victory and a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets.
"I texted (James), told him it was a hell of a shot," Bryant said. "Everybody tries to make it out like this big thing, but we're all friends and I told him it was a hell of a shot. He does what he does in Cleveland, I do what I do here."
And the NBA's dream of a LeBron-Kobe matchup in the finals still lives.
For now.
The Nuggets still appear to be a better team than the Lakers. If only Karl could draw up an in-bounds play that hurts the Lakers during crunch time.
For the second time in three games, Denver threw a Western Conference Finals game away late in the fourth quarter.
In Game 1 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Anthony Carter lobbed a lazy pass over Lamar Odom and into Trevor Ariza's grasp -- a costly turnover that helped the Lakers escape with a 105-103 victory.
In Game 3 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Kenyon Martin had to call timeout after failing to find an open Nugget on an in-bounds pass in the final minute. The home team was trailing 97-95 with 36 seconds left.
After listening to Karl's advice, K-Mart lobbed a pass over Odom and into Ariza's grasp -- a turnover that allowed the Lakers to regain homecourt advantage.
So what gives with the Nuggets' giving up these critical possessions?
"I really can't answer that," Chauncey Billups said. "I don't know, man. I don't like it either."
Jackson, who suddenly likes his team's chances again, credits Odom's ability to bother the in-bounds passer and Ariza's explosive ability to beat just about everyone in the NBA to 50-50 balls.
"It was kind of deja vu of Game 1," Anthony lamented. "As a team we've got to get better down the stretch."
Melo -- after getting the better of Kobe for most of the first two games -- was half the man he was in L.A. He scored 18 points in the first half, but foul trouble and more intense defense from the Lakers limited the Nuggets' star to three points in the second half before fouling out chasing Ariza down after Martin's turnover.
"It's going to continue to be intense and competitive," Anthony said after a 4-for-13 shooting night. "Back to square one. The Lakers took back home court ... but I'll tell you this, we'll be ready Monday."
The script now calls for a gutsy, bounce-back performance by the Nuggets.
The Enos look-alike at the Staples Center will be beaten into submission by McMahon on Monday, but Kroenke's Nuggets should even this seven-game grudge match.
"Tonight was unfortunate," Billups said. "But this is the Western Conference Finals. This is great basketball. It's going to be a long series."
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/may/24/can-somebody-draw-up-an-in-bounds-pass-play/
DENVER — Vince McMahon is smiling somewhere in Los Angeles.
On Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, E. Stanley Kroenke -- by the way Vince, the E. stands for Enos -- had to feel like he was hosting a World Wrestling Federation event after all.
"It seemed like the referee wasn't ... we weren't getting good consistency with the whistle," Nuggets head coach George Karl said.
"It was kind of a ragged game in many ways," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said.
"It was a choppy game," Kobe Bryant said.
"It happened ... I got my sixth foul," Carmelo Anthony said.
The first Western Conference Finals game in Denver since 1984 was uglier than Randy "The Ram" Robinson after a steel cage match.
There were 55 fouls called, including five technicals. The Lakers missed 14 free throws, but attempted 45. The Nuggets were 26-for-31 from the line, but just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
And, in the end, 24 hours after the nation witnessed LeBron James rescuing Cleveland from a potential 0-2 hole vs. Orlando with a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, Bryant scored 13 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to will the Lakers to a 103-97 victory and a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets.
"I texted (James), told him it was a hell of a shot," Bryant said. "Everybody tries to make it out like this big thing, but we're all friends and I told him it was a hell of a shot. He does what he does in Cleveland, I do what I do here."
And the NBA's dream of a LeBron-Kobe matchup in the finals still lives.
For now.
The Nuggets still appear to be a better team than the Lakers. If only Karl could draw up an in-bounds play that hurts the Lakers during crunch time.
For the second time in three games, Denver threw a Western Conference Finals game away late in the fourth quarter.
In Game 1 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Anthony Carter lobbed a lazy pass over Lamar Odom and into Trevor Ariza's grasp -- a costly turnover that helped the Lakers escape with a 105-103 victory.
In Game 3 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Kenyon Martin had to call timeout after failing to find an open Nugget on an in-bounds pass in the final minute. The home team was trailing 97-95 with 36 seconds left.
After listening to Karl's advice, K-Mart lobbed a pass over Odom and into Ariza's grasp -- a turnover that allowed the Lakers to regain homecourt advantage.
So what gives with the Nuggets' giving up these critical possessions?
"I really can't answer that," Chauncey Billups said. "I don't know, man. I don't like it either."
Jackson, who suddenly likes his team's chances again, credits Odom's ability to bother the in-bounds passer and Ariza's explosive ability to beat just about everyone in the NBA to 50-50 balls.
"It was kind of deja vu of Game 1," Anthony lamented. "As a team we've got to get better down the stretch."
Melo -- after getting the better of Kobe for most of the first two games -- was half the man he was in L.A. He scored 18 points in the first half, but foul trouble and more intense defense from the Lakers limited the Nuggets' star to three points in the second half before fouling out chasing Ariza down after Martin's turnover.
"It's going to continue to be intense and competitive," Anthony said after a 4-for-13 shooting night. "Back to square one. The Lakers took back home court ... but I'll tell you this, we'll be ready Monday."
The script now calls for a gutsy, bounce-back performance by the Nuggets.
The Enos look-alike at the Staples Center will be beaten into submission by McMahon on Monday, but Kroenke's Nuggets should even this seven-game grudge match.
"Tonight was unfortunate," Billups said. "But this is the Western Conference Finals. This is great basketball. It's going to be a long series."
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/may/24/can-somebody-draw-up-an-in-bounds-pass-play/