Read about the Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 4 as it unfolds. As always, feel free to refresh your browser for live updates throughout the game … On second thought, I guess they wouldn’t technically be “live” updates since you have to press refresh. But whatever.
Game 1
Lakers - Nuggets Running Diary, May 19, 2009
Lakers 105, Nuggets 103: Postgame
Game 2
Lakers - Nuggets Running Diary, May 21, 2009
Lakers 103, Nuggets 106: Postgame
Game 3
Lakers - Nuggets Running Diary, May 23, 2009
Lakers 103, Nuggets 97: Postgame
Inactives
Lakers: Adam Morrison, Sun Yue
Nuggets: Sonny Weems, Steven Hunter
Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Ariza, Gasol and Bynum
Nuggets: Billups, Jones, Anthony, Martin and Nene
Phil Jackson Pregame
Jackson’s primary message to his team, he said, was to come with a sense of urgency to match what the Nuggets promise to deliver with their collective back against the wall. He added that the coaching staff would have to watch the minutes of Trevor Ariza (hip, groin), but that you can’t really monitor Kobe Bryant’s minutes: “He wants to play all of them.” A reporter also mentioned that Ariza’s numbers are up across the board in the playoffs (51 percent from 3-point range, for example), which Jackson said was simply because some players step their games in the postseason, and Ariza appears to be one of them.
George Karl Pregame
Karl opened talking about L.A.’s weariness: “Fatigue is a part of a playoff series if it goes for a long time … I hope that does become a factor, because I think right now our bench has a little more confidence.” Karl added that the Nuggets did a good job on Bryant with the exception of a few fouls and a few times in which Bryant got the ball back after an initial denial. Finally, Karl said that coaches have more trouble with close losses, while players feel better about them because they knew they were right in the game.
Jones Push of Kobe Changed to “Flagrant 1″
According to NBA VP of PR Tim Frank, the two-handed push that Dahntay Jones committed on Kobe Bryant with 7:13 left in the third quarter was changed from a personal foul to a flagrant 1. Bryant made both free throws at the time to bring L.A. within two at 60-58.
First Quarter
11:46 Bryant immediately split a double team and drew a foul on Jones, who has to be approaching an NBA playoff record for most fouls-per-minute in a series.
10:40 Apparently free throw practice didn’t do a ton of good for the Lakers, who missed 3-of-4 to start the game, including both from Ariza.
10:09 Game plan: pound it in the paint, which worked as Gasol smartly found Bynum with a lob, and the young center converted on the baseline to make it 4-3 Nuggets (who’d gotten two hoops from Martin).
7:31 After Ariza missed his second straight open three, Bynum dunked courtesy of a pretty Pau pass to make it 8-5 Denver, who’d already grabbed three offensive boards. The hustle stats are going to be tough for L.A. especially in the first half.
3:58 Getting a tough runner to go off glass in the lane was one thing for Fish, but his pull-up didn’t look at good, and Martin hit 1-of-2 freebies at the other end to put Denver up seven. With that, Lamar Odom and Luke Walton checked in for Bynum and Ariza.
1:53 Surprise, surprise: Odom deflected a Martin inbounds pass out of bounds. Denver did collect, however, and get two more FT’s when Walton was whistled for another bump, this time on Martin, whose FT’s made it 20-13 Nuggets.
0:00 A tough, in-traffic, running bank shot from Kobe went down for his third straight make, which kept the Lakers within three (22-19) after one. Denver threw a great deal of effort at the Lakers, but didn’t execute very well (7-of-21, 33 percent) by missing a few layups and four free throws.
Continue reading ‘Lakers - Nuggets Running Diary 4′
A night after L.A. defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-92 to earn the right to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic beat the Cleveland Cavs 103-90 to claim the Eastern berth.
For today’s Playoff Podcast we sat down with KCAL sideline reporter and host of the Mason & Ireland show on 710ESPN, John Ireland to talk about the Lakers 2-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets in the 2009 Western Conference Finals.
Carmelo Anthony had an extremely efficient game for the Nuggets and we must do a better job of making him work to get the ball and making him work on his defensive end. One of the plays that they were successful with was their flex offense which they call “BOSTON”…
Do you know what a Twitterview is? I didn’t either until about an hour after I got done doing one with USC Head Football Coach Pete Carroll. As the name would imply it’s an interview done over Twitter (if you don’t know what that is click 
