Lakers at Nuggets Game 3 - April 26th

[Allanon]

http://msfcontent.mqube.us/preview/thumbs/images/100x100/136830.jpg vs http://msfcontent.mqube.us/preview/thumbs/images/100x100/136826.jpg


DENVER (AP) The Denver Nuggets realize they need to keep their cool if they're going to rediscover their winning ways before the Los Angeles Lakers bounce them from the playoffs.

In their two losses in L.A., the Nuggets never quit barking at Kobe Bryant and got called for a half-dozen technical fouls, including a double-whammy on All-Star Allen Iverson, who was tossed from Game 1.

"I would prefer us staying more professional and stay away from the trash talking,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said Friday.

The series shifts to Denver on Saturday and the Nuggets know they can't keep provoking Bryant and the fed-up officials if they're to have any hope of turning around this series.

"In the playoffs, you get a little more emotional,'' Lakers forward Lamar Odom. "You can't help it, every game is so important. When we're at their place, we'll try to avoid that.''

The Nuggets, who led the league in technicals during the season, were unable to keep their composure on the road.

"I think we all know it's part of our immaturity a times,'' Karl said. "You don't earn respect by getting technical fouls.''

It's apparently not wise to keep egging on Bryant, either. He had 49 points and 10 assists in Game 2, when J.R. Smith threw more trash talk at the MVP favorite than even Kenyon Martin did in the opener.

Smith kept barking when Bryant was in the midst of a 19-point surge spanning less than 4 1/2 minutes in the fourth quarter.

"Good conversation,'' said a smiling Bryant, who acknowledged that the insults from the 22-year-old Smith fueled his fire.

Yet some Nuggets shrugged off their frustration fouls and all the off-color commentary.

"That's just the way the game of basketball is,'' Smith said. "People are going to talk trash. People are going to do what they got to do to win games.''

Marcus Camby said the technicals were "just a lot of frustration. And that's just guys wanting to win so bad and they're just trying to go out there and fight, so you can't knock the effort. It's not really a problem. When them techs happened, the game was pretty much out of hand late in the fourth quarter, lead was double digits.''

Those late-game Ts certainly didn't engender any goodwill with the officials, however, and they contributed to the notion the Nuggets are just overmatched and way too worried about whistles.

Karl, for one, didn't like the timing of the technical fouls.

"I think earlier in the game is more understandable and there might be a motivation part there. I can handle that better,'' Karl said. "In the fourth quarter, every point could strategically have an impact on the game. On the road, it's a multiple impact on the game. So, keeping your composure, keeping your focus and not beating yourself is a big part of winning games in the NBA.

"A lot of times you win games if you just don't beat yourself. Technicals are a gift to the other team.''

To make this series competitive and avoid a fifth straight one-and-done trip to the playoffs, the Nuggets are going to have to keep their composure and quit giving the Lakers such presents.

"Oh, you got to,'' Linas Kleiza said. "When they play on their homecourt they're going to get the calls going their way. It's just the nature. But I don't feel officials do a bad job or anything like that. We just gotta keep our composure better. It's frustrating to lose and sometimes we take it out on the wrong people. We take it out on the officials, and it hurt us.''

The Nuggets are counting on some of the toss-up calls to go their way at the Pepsi Center, where they went 33-8 this season, and Karl's hoping the homecourt energy leads to a little less talk and a lot more action.

The Lakers know that will make the Nuggets a tougher team to beat.

"I think they're an emotional bunch,'' Bryant said. "Once they get the crowd behind them, their emotions can be their biggest strength.''

Instead of their biggest weakness.

Notes: Kleiza has a swollen right elbow from his fall in Game 2 when he was fouled hard by Pau Gasol. ... Lakers F Ronny Turiaf, who has played just three minutes in the series because of tonsillitis, was slow and lethargic in practice Friday, coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm actually eating and drinking today. I'll be ready to go,'' said Turiaf, who's lost 11 pounds while sick.

I saw a similar post for the Spurs that ESPN (and most experts) botched up, so I thought I'd post the Laker / Nuggets ESPN picks to start today's game thread.


http://badpussy.org/uploads/files/6saq6qf5pdnfpkhhbncf.jpg

[SpurOutofTownFan]

for the record, the game is about to start and this is a game the lakers can very well lose. so watch out there.

[Shang Tsung]

any streams?

[Warlord23]

Fisher vs Iverson is the ultimate flopping war

[BonnerDynasty]

THE MACHINE is always getting hit in the throat!!!!

[Warlord23]

That was the flop of the year, easy!

[balli]

Vujacic vs Iverson is the ultimate flopping war

I normally don't do this, but... fixed.

[Allanon]

Nuggets showing some heart here early on.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

i feel sorry for whoever gets the lakers in the 2nd rd. Dont expect to get any calls even at home :lol and dont blow on anyone in a lakers uniform or else its freethrows lol

[BonnerDynasty]

The Machine is almost like a mini-Manu.

[Allanon]

I think the game is being called pretty evenly...it just seems they're calling it a little bit too tight. Both teams have a bunch of fouls.

[DazedAndConfused]

The refs aren't the reason why the Nuggets are down 2-0. The Lakers need to pick up their energy levels, I'll blame on the altitude for now. 2nd half I want to see better energy from everyone.

[BonnerDynasty]

hahahahaaha the Denver Mascot.

That was great!

[Allanon]

Hahah, that whole thing with Rocky the Mascot was pretty funny.

[Shaolin-Style]

Carmelo's choke job is second only as a disappointment to his dui.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Denver is a joke. Warriors v. Lakers would have been a better series to watch.

[Condemned 2 HelLA]

Denver is a joke. Warriors v. Lakers would have been a better series to watch.

I was hoping for Dallas vs. L.A., myself.

[lefty]

Nuggets really suck :rollin

[balli]

If I was a Denver fan I'd have turned on this team a long time ago. They must be just awful to root for.

[lefty]

Suns's D is 100 times >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nuggets D.

And that's sad.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

If I was a Denver fan I'd have turned on this team a long time ago. They must be just awful to root for.

:lol, I was thinking the same thing. Just all-around repulsive. This is probably the worst series in the first round, thanks to the Nuggets.

[LakeShow]

Got Damn Denver, why don't you tell the league that you dont want to play anymore! :sleep

[1Parker1]

Did anyone else catch what they reported coming out of halftime?? The Nuggets were in the lockerroom watching the NFL draft. Craig Seiger asked George Karl if he minded this, and Karl said something like No, they know what they have to do. We'll have to go back and look at film to fix this...or something like that.

What kind of coach and what kind of team sits in the lockerroom at halftime watching the NFL draft of an important playoff game? :wow :wow

That's disgusting, they should have just lost some games on purpose and let the Warriors play if they didn't want to compete.

[mVp]

If I was a Denver fan I'd have turned on this team a long time ago. They must be just awful to root for.

No kidding... they're beyond pathetic.

[boutons_]

Nuggs got nothing, esp not defense.

[1Parker1]

The odd thing is that on paper, the Nuggets look like they have a great team and should be a lot more competitive than they are. They have two superstars that can give you 40-50 points combined in a game. They have a spark off the bench in JR Smith and Kleiza. They have solid defenders in Martin and Camby. Yet, for all their talent, they still take the most ill advised shots on offense than any team in the league.

[1Parker1]

:lmao :lmao Denver crowd chanting M-V-P for Kobe. Kobe proceeds to score a 3 pointer with 2 minutes remaining and the Lakers up 23 points.

[1Parker1]

How good are the Lakers? Anyone think they'll have trouble against the Jazz?

[ShoogarBear]

I am shocked . . . shocked! . . . that Denver would come out and play like complete dumbasses in a playoff tame.

[timvp]

George Karl has lost that team. He's coaching like he wants to be fired.

That side of the bracket needs to fast forward to Lakers vs. Jazz.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

The odd thing is that on paper, the Nuggets look like they have a great team and should be a lot more competitive than they are. They have two superstars that can give you 40-50 points combined in a game. They have a spark off the bench in JR Smith and Kleiza. They have solid defenders in Martin and Camby. Yet, for all their talent, they still take the most ill advised shots on offense than any team in the league.
The reason why they look good on paper but are still god-awful, is because save for Camby and Iverson, they're all fucking morons.
Coach Karl lost his team. He's a worse coach than D'Antoni.

There is no discipline AT ALL on that stupid team. A team that laughs and giggles at words like "suck" and "hard" when the coach is describing plays.

I bet that locker room is bizarro world compared to the Spurs locker room.

[Bob Lanier]

P. Gasol: 37 minutes, 3 rebounds
R. Turiaf: 3.7 minutes, 3 rebounds

[1Parker1]

George Karl has lost that team. He's coaching like he wants to be fired.

That side of the bracket needs to fast forward to Lakers vs. Jazz.

Well, he's definitely going to be gone next season. I don't think there's any doubt in that...

[lefty]

:toast at that fan holding the " TNT, best NBA network station " sign :toast

[01Snake]

Lakers in 5:toast

If you lose a game to the Nuggets, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

[Bob Lanier]

Anyone want to tell me what's going on here? (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/photo?slug=f48f1026e77f70a7273850b07a567319-getty-80327529dp008_los_angeles_l&prov=getty)

[missmyzte]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/e8/fullj.f48f1026e77f70a7273850b07a567319/f48f1026e77f70a7273850b07a567319-getty-80327529dp008_los_angeles_l.jpg

'London bridges falling down... falling down ... falling down..."

Just kidding

This was the Lakers announcing their starting line-up, the Denver mascot sat by them reading a newspaper. When the line-up was finished being announced, the team gathered in a circle around him. It was actually pretty funny.

[lefty]

Hawks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nugguettes

[1Parker1]

If you lose a game to the Nuggets, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

I think he was referring to my question about how the Lakers will fare against the Jazz. He's predicting Lakers beat Jazz in 5, which I think is a little over optimistic of him/her. :lol

[lefty]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/e8/fullj.f48f1026e77f70a7273850b07a567319/f48f1026e77f70a7273850b07a567319-getty-80327529dp008_los_angeles_l.jpg

'London bridges falling down... falling down ... falling down..."

Just kidding

This was the Lakers announcing their starting line-up, the Denver mascot sat by them reading a newspaper. When the line-up was finished being announced, the team gathered in a circle around him. It was actually pretty funny.

Yeah I LOLed hard

[Tradition]

How good are the Lakers? Anyone think they'll have trouble against the Jazz?

Lakers in 5-6 games. Utah wont be a walk in the park but they arent all that of a team. They can be beaten at home as the Lakers kicked those asses all over that shithole arena without Gasol/Bynum earlier in the year. Phil Jackson>>>>>>Jerry Sloan and Kobe will go off on their soft defense.

[LakeShow]

How good are the Lakers? Anyone think they'll have trouble against the Jazz?

Not to sound cocky, but I like the Lakers in 5 as well. Utah doesn't match up well to the Lakers and we've handled them quite easily. The Lakers have an attitude with them on how the crowd treated Fisher. They'll be fired up to take them out!

[Medvedenko]

Well if we get by the Nuggets and face the Jazz I like our chances again. However, the Jazz have the tools to beat anyone in the league...the key is putting it together for an entire series.

[jonnybravo]

The odd thing is that on paper, the Nuggets look like they have a great team and should be a lot more competitive than they are. They have two superstars that can give you 40-50 points combined in a game. They have a spark off the bench in JR Smith and Kleiza. They have solid defenders in Martin and Camby. Yet, for all their talent, they still take the most ill advised shots on offense than any team in the league.

There's nothing odd about it bro.

"Experts" have been calling the Nuggest a championship darkhorse for the last fucken 4 years. Maybe their so-called talent is overrated to teh nth degree.

You have a moron like Melo claiming he get's doubled more than every other player in the league. LMFAO. Even Skeletor aka, Hubie Brown almost fell out of his chair when he scoffed that there's a certain other player that rep's a silicone breasted area of the southwest that probably sees 2x the defenders this overrated piece of trash has.

That's the team dawg. Bunch of delusional fucks, being coached by a John Lithgow look-a-like who'se best years was leg-humping GP in his prime and Sean Kemp before the Krispie Kreams and cocaine got into his system.

Denver was never, EVER a contender. Calling Melo a "superstar" is an insult to guys that earn it like Duncan, Kobe, etc. I watch those guys and I know at the END of the day, they're playing for the ring. I watch Melo, and I'm concerned he's going to rile up another 5'7" player that he has 100 lbs on and a foot over and runs the fuck away from.

Superstars. The most loosely used terms\ in the NBA galaxy.

[01Snake]

You are right, but I was responding to the guy who asked would the Jazz give Lakers some trouble. Lakers in 5

My bad :downspin:

[LakeShow]

fixed


In danger of sweep by Lakers, Nuggets appear stuck on STUPID

In danger of sweep by Lakers, Nuggets appear stuck on second tier

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/columnists/Hollinger_John_55.jpg (http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=john_hollinger&name=SEARCH_m_archive&srvc=sz) By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
(Archive (http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=john_hollinger&name=SEARCH_m_archive&srvc=sz))


Allen Iverson drew heavy defensive attention, contributing to his 5-for-16 shooting in Game 3.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=lakersnuggetsgame3_080426


DENVER -- This is the Denver Nuggets' (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=den) winningest season in two decades, while the past five years have been the most sustained stretch of regular-season success in the franchise's NBA history.
It's hard to reconcile those facts with what is becoming an increasingly ugly ending to the campaign.
Saturday's 102-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=lal) put Denver down 3-0 in their first-round playoff series, and elimination now seems as certain as death and taxes -- no NBA team has ever come back from such a deficit.
Given the ease with which the Lakers won the first three games, nobody is expecting Denver to break that string. The game was such a laugher that many Denver fans exited making the gold-clad "MVP-chanting" Laker fans increasingly prominent in the crowd -- figure skater Michelle Kwan among them.
Certainly, Denver's fate had plenty to do with the opponent. L.A. again was flawless at both ends and got another star-caliber yet team-focused effort from Kobe Bryant (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3118). Meanwhile, Luke Walton (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3735) continued his unbelievable play off the bench (6-of-7, 15 points, five rebounds, five assists).
Yet it's hard to imagine Denver expected this result after going 33-8 at home this year. Especially after the weather gods threw them a bone and spooked the Californians with some mid-afternoon snow.
If L.A. completes the sweep on Monday, it would cement the Nuggets' status in the second-tier of the NBA -- good enough to win 50 games, but not nearly good enough to hang with the league's elite in a best-of-seven series.
Since pairing Allen Iverson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3094) and Carmelo Anthony (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3706) at midseason last year, the Nuggets have twice been outclassed in the first round by one of the league's heavyweights -- the Spurs did the honors last year. Thus, it seems probable that Denver -- much like Dallas and Phoenix, will be among the Western teams contemplating major changes if they can't get out of the first round.
But for those of you who are wondering, a coaching change isn't on the menu. "We could lose both these games by a hundred and George [Karl] would still be the coach," a team source told me before Game 3.
Indeed, Karl has managed to keep everyone on board through a challenging season. For all their volatility, you don't hear these guys complaining about shots -- even with two big-time scorers to keep happy. Karl also helped J.R. Smith (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3835) turn his season around, and possibly his career, while other young players have also shown positive development.
You also might wonder if attention-shy owner Stanley Kroenke has soured on having such a high payroll if it doesn't produce some postseason results. If so, the shedding of contracts would have painful results in the win column.
But while Kroenke remains elusive to the media, it appears he's still on board with the program. For a very recent example, he signed off on the last-week-of-the-season addition of Bobby Jones (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4165) with the inclusion of a non-guaranteed second year -- something that added to his tax bill but gives the Nuggets flexibility for trades this summer (it was a similar deal with Howard Eisley (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2653) that allowed the Nuggets to trade for Smith two years ago).
So Denver won't nuke everything just yet. But that doesn't mean it can stand pat.
Right now the Nuggets' problem isn't talent, and it isn't effort. It's more systemic -- simply put, the pieces don't fit real well. And while everyone focuses on their defense, it's on offense where the fit is the problem.
This team wasn't designed to be the Bad Boys, and by playing such a frenetic pace they're going to give up some points. But with two of the league's top four scorers in Iverson and Anthony, it should be an elite offensive team. Right now, it's not, and their attack seems weirdly disjointed.
That was obvious again on Saturday, when the Nuggets' attack degenerated into a one-on-one, "Who's Turn Is It Anyway?" type of offense. Denver shot 37.2 percent and only had 22 assists, after registering a mere 12 in Game 2. For the series, less than half their baskets have been from a teammate's pass.

[+] Enlarge (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=lakersnuggetsgame3_080426#)
http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0426/nba_a_karl_200.jpg (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=lakersnuggetsgame3_080426#)AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Nuggets coach George Karl saw some tough flaws resurface in Game 3.


When I asked Karl before the game where his team needed to improve, the question wasn't even out of my mouth before he blurted "Pass it!" Yet the interesting part of Game 3 wasn't that the Nuggets weren't making the pass, but how often there wasn't a pass available to be made.Too often, Iverson and Anthony had three guys around them or were forced to drive into crowds because teammates weren't threats to score from the perimeter. Though both are great scorers, neither are great shooters and both prefer to operate near the basket -- Anthony on post-ups, Iverson on drives.
And with L.A. packing in the lane, the two shot just 10-for-38 in Game 3. For the series, they're 50-for-129 (38.8 percent).
"It seemed the Lakers had a good feel for when to bring double teams on [them]," said Karl. "And we forced shots."
For Denver's halfcourt offense to work, the other three guys need to create room by stretching defense out to the 3-point line. Do Kenyon Martin (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3400), Marcus Camby (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3084) and Anthony Carter (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3396) strike you as the type of guys to do that?
Here's perhaps the most instructive piece of info about the Nuggets' need for floor-spacers. In terms of 3-pointers per shot attempt, Denver's three most prolific bombers this year were J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3953) and Eduardo Najera (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3437). And other than Iverson, they were the three Nuggets with the top offensive +/- on the team.
Want more? Look at Denver's most effective lineups and you'll see a similar trend. The top five-man units with more than 50 minutes, according to 82games.com, were:
1. Iverson-Smith-Kleiza-Anthony-Najera
2. Iverson-Smith-Kleiza-Anthony-Camby
3. Iverson-Smith-Anthony-Najera-Camby
4. Iverson-Smith-Kleiza-Najera-Martin
Notice a trend here? The Nuggets can score in bunches if they surround Iverson and Anthony with shooters. They can get by with one non-spacer -- either Martin or Camby -- at the five. And otherwise, there just isn't enough room for their two big scorers to operate at peak effectiveness.
This offers a prescription for next season. As crazy as this sounds, the Nuggets need to play smaller and possibly even faster. Picture Anthony as the power forward with shooters like Smith and Kleiza around him. Picture a couple more shooters, acquired in free agency or via trade for the likes of Nene and Kenyon Martin.
Picture the Nuggets, in short, as a faster-paced version of teams like Toronto, Orlando or, yes, these Lakers -- teams who had better offenses (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats?seasonType=2) than the Nuggets this year despite appearing to have far less individual offensive talent, because they effectively space the floor around their star players.
In fact, L.A.'s ability to do just that was on display for all to see in these first three games, as L.A. rained in 29-of-71 (40.8 pecent) from downtown to keep Kobe's double-teamers at bay.
In the meantime, the Nuggets will come back on Monday for a final salvo with this gang, and one last shot at leaving this series with a shred of dignity intact.
"Don't give up," said Iverson of his approach. "I've been in this league 12 years and I never gave up one game."
As always, Iverson's effort is unquestioned. But he may need a few more shooters around him to make it a fair fight.
John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here (http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/mailbagESPN?event_id=7936).

[Elraptor]

Lakers played great out there today, they'll proboully sweep.

[21_Blessings]

Thats what you call DEFENSE.

I told you faggots Lakers play it.