Nuggets-Lakers Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Dec 30 2011 3:04PM

The Los Angeles Lakers already may be getting the hang of new coach Mike Brown's defensive-minded system. Having Andrew Bynum back could make them even tougher at that end of the floor.

Bynum returns from suspension to make his season debut Saturday in the opener of a home-and-home series with the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

The league banned Bynum for five games - later reduced to four due to the lockout-shortened 66-game season - for knocking down Dallas' J.J. Barea in the second round of the playoffs. Bynum is coming off a fairly pedestrian season with 11.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, though both averages went up in the playoffs and he looked strong in two preseason games with 41 points and 23 boards.

The 7-footer should play a key role in Brown's defense, having finished sixth in the NBA last season with 2.0 blocks per game.

Los Angeles (2-2) got off to a shaky start without him, losing to Chicago and Sacramento, but has bounced back to beat Utah and New York. The Lakers held those two opponents to averages of 76.5 points and 31.8 percent from the field.

"It's just communication, activity, understanding where we need to be when certain situations come up," forward Pau Gasol said of the improved defense. "It's just being active and continuously working."

Gasol ranks among the league leaders with 2.5 blocks per game and is averaging a team-high 9.0 rebounds along with 16.8 points.

Kobe Bryant has gotten off to a strong start despite the team playing its first four games in five nights. He's scored at least 26 points in each despite playing with a torn wrist ligament.

"Kobe be lying. Kobe ain't hurt," New York's Carmelo Anthony said with a laugh after a 99-82 loss to the Lakers on Thursday.

Bryant helped hold New York's starting backcourt to 4 of 15 from the field. The eight-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive first team has chipped in six steals this season.

"Everybody has a job, everybody has assignments," Bryant said of the defensive system. "You can hold everyone accountable in terms of where the mistakes are being made and who's making them. From that standpoint, everybody has a responsibility to one another to protect each other."

The Lakers haven't done so well on defense against Denver (2-1) recently. The Nuggets have averaged 104.0 points while going 5-2 in this series since losing to Los Angeles in the 2009 Western Conference finals. They even won the only meeting since trading Anthony to New York, 95-90 at Staples Center on April 3.

Denver has been getting worse on defense with each game this season, culminating with a 111-102 defeat at Portland on Thursday as the Blazers made 51.9 percent from the floor. The Nuggets had won their first two games, holding Dallas to 93 points and 42.1 percent shooting before letting Utah score 100 and hit 48.1 percent.

However, the Nuggets have forced at least 20 turnovers in each game and are averaging a league-best 16.0 steals.

Another area, though, in which Denver has dropped off is 3-point shooting, going 4 for 20 on Thursday.

"We had a lot of open shots and we didn't knock them down - simple as that," said Ty Lawson, who had 25 points and eight assists.

Danilo Gallinari missed all five of his 3-point tries and is 2 for 12 this season.

These teams also square off Sunday in Denver. The Lakers have lost the last three meetings in which Bryant has scored more than 20 points.

Bynum returns, leads Lakers over Nuggets

Posted Dec 31 2011 7:31PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Andrew Bynum provided the Los Angeles Lakers with a powerful performance in his season debut, following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs.

It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes.

Bynum scored 29 points on 13 for 18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The 7-foot center played 31 1/2 grueling minutes, helping the Lakers win their third straight following their first 0-2 start since 2002-03.

"They were looking for me a lot. I was a focal point early in the offense, so I knew the quicker I got down the court, the better it was," said Bynum, who made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. "I was winded like crazy. I couldn't breathe in the first six minutes. Defensively, getting back and all those things require me to be in better condition. So it's going to take a little while."

Bynum was suspended without pay for the first four games because of a flagrant foul against Dallas' J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the lockout.

"I really didn't have the highest expectations," said the seven-year veteran, who totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers. "I just wanted to come out and be aggressive. I wanted to get it down low, and when I got it, I made shots."

Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame 2-for-24 shooting from 3-point range.

Reserve forward Al Harrington had 21 points for the Nuggets, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games against the Lakers.

"The game of basketball treats you badly sometimes," Denver coach George Karl said. "No one feels very good right now. They hurt us rebounding the ball and they hurt us with Bynum's power underneath the basket. They've very good at playing an aggressive style of disrupting you, with guys coming at you on pick-and-rolls."

The Lakers missed their first 12 shots from 3-point range - all in the first half - before Matt Barnes connected with 11:11 left in the third to put Los Angeles ahead 49-47. The Nuggets weren't much better from behind the arc, missing nine of their first 10 before finishing up 7 for 26.

Trailing 71-69 after three quarters, the Lakers tied it four times before Harrington's 3-pointer gave Denver an 85-80 lead with 5:29 to play. Bynum guided in a pass above the rim from Bryant and converted the ensuing free throw to narrow the gap to 89-87 with 3:23 left.

Fisher, who fouled out with six points in his 500th consecutive game, missed a 3-point shot trying to beat the 24-second clock - but hustled all the way to the other side of the court to fall on the loose ball and managed to get a timeout with 2:29 remaining and the Lakers still down by two.

"I haven't seen it on tape yet, and I'm sure it doesn't look very graceful. But I'm glad it helped us get a win," the 37-year-old Fisher said with a chuckle. "You see a ball free and you go for it, especially at that time of the game. To make hustle plays and do the little things, that's the team that we're becoming - a team that can figure out a way to grind out wins.

"Once I saw the ball bounce long (Ty) Lawson and I were kind of bumping into each other shoulder-to-shoulder and I started to lose my balance," Fisher explained. "So it was somewhat surprising that I was still able to figure out a way to find the basketball as I was stumbling and regain control before going out of bounds."

Bryant tied it 89-all with a pair of free throws, and Bynum blocked a layup by Nene with 2 minutes left before converting a layup at the other end for a 91-89 lead with 1:50 to go.

The Nuggets had a few opportunities to pull it out. But Gasol blocked a layup by Lawson, who missed two free throws the next time the Nuggets had possession. Danilo Gallinari had a chance to tie it, but blew an easy fast-break layup with Steve Blake on his heels after Bryant missed a jumper at the other end.

"We get three layups and a couple of free throws in the last three minutes, and we miss all of them," Karl lamented. "Our offensive confidence is a little short right now."

Fisher's consecutive-game streak is the longest among active NBA players. Former Lakers forward A.C. Green, a teammate of Fisher's during the 1999-00 season, holds the league record with 1,192 in a row.

`That's what's so amazing about what he was able to accomplish - especially as a big guy out there banging with the best of them," Fisher said. "For him to be able to have done what it took mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically to be prepared to go to work every single day for all those seasons was a big-time example for me.

"It's not like I'm chasing any type of number, but I just try to bring the same mentality to work, whether it's 500 or 1,000. I'm nowhere close to his streak, but I still take great pride in coming to work every day. Those experiences with him were great. We talked a lot and I learned a lot from him."

Bryant, who averaged 27.8 points through the first four games despite playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, missed his first three shots and played more than 14 scoreless minutes before ending the drought on a floater that put the Lakers ahead 38-36 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

Notes: The Lakers have played six times on New Year's Eve since coming to Los Angeles - all at home (5-1). Their rematch with the Nuggets on Sunday night will mark the first time the Lakers have played on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in the same season since 1959-60, when the franchise was based in Minneapolis. ... Bryant needs four points to become the sixth player in history to reach 28,000.

Notebook: Lakers 92, Nuggets 89

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday December 31, 2011 7:05PM

THE FACTS: Lakers center Andrew Bynum made a meaningful return to the lineup Saturday afternoon against the visiting Nuggets, scoring 29 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, to lead the Lakers to a 92-89 victory at Staples Center. Bynum missed the first four games of the season after he was suspended for a flagrant foul on Dallas guard J.J. Barea during last season's Western Conference playoffs.

QUOTABLE: "He's a big fella that's extremely skilled and has some athleticism. He just knows how to play the game."
-- Lakers coach Mike Brown on Bynum.

THE STAT: Bynum shot 13-for-18 from the field, hitting all five field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter. His three-point play with 3:23 left cut the deficit to two and his lay up off a pass from Derek Fisher with 1:52 remaining gave the Lakers the lead for good, 91-89. Denver did not score a point in the last 3:40 after taking an 89-84 lead on a tomahawk dunk by Nene.

TURNING POINT: On the possession after Bynum's three-point play, Nene missed a dunk that would have given the Nuggets a four-point lead. Fisher missed a 3-point attempt on the other end, but hustled to the other side of the floor and dove for the loose ball, calling timeout before Denver could tie him up. Kobe Bryant then drew a foul while dribbling on the perimeter, putting the Lakers in the bonus situation. Bryant made both foul shots to tie the score, 89-89, and the Lakers never trailed again.

HOT: It wasn't just Bynum who helped the Lakers to a 46-32 advantage in the paint. Pau Gasol, who moved to power forward with the return of Bynum, shot 7-for-10 from the floor and scored 17 points. Throw in a 3-for-3 shooting night for reserve Josh McRoberts and the Lakers' big men were a combined 23-for-31 from the floor.

NOT: Down two points with about three seconds remaining, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari missed a great opportunity to tie the score. Bryant had missed a jump shot while standing on the 3-point line, leading to a fast break by Gallinari. Lakers guard Steve Blake didn't give up on the play, however, distracting Gallinari enough that his lay up rolled off the rim ... As strong as the Lakers were in close, they were awful from distance. They finished 2-for-24 from 3-point range, including 0-12 in the first half. Metta World Peace couldn't score from anywhere, finishing 0-for-8 with no points and four turnovers ... Both teams combined for 22 turnovers in first half.

GOOD MOVE: Denver coach George Karl stayed with his hottest players down the stretch, and that was forward Al Harrington and guard Andre Miller off the bench. Harrington played the entire fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 21 points. Miller had 13.

BAD MOVE: World Peace told reporters after a one-point loss to the Bulls on Christmas Day that he probably wouldn't do much dunking this season after a slam against Chicago zapped him of his energy. He didn't follow his own advance while driving to the basket late in the first quarter. He elevated for a left-handed dunk but couldn't get it over the rim, leading to a fast break going the other way.

QUOTABLE II: "We get three lay ups and a couple free throws in the last three minutes of the game and we miss all of them."
-- Karl on his team's play down the stretch.

NOTABLE: After starting the first four games of the season, second-year small forward Devin Ebanks gave way to Matt Barnes in the starting lineup. With World Peace absorbing the back-up minutes, that left no room on the floor for Ebanks and he did not play ... Bryant finished one assist short of a triple double, totaling 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Sunday @ Denver, Tuesday vs. Houston, Thursday @ Portland. For the Nuggets, Sunday vs. Lakers, Monday vs. Milwaukee, Wednesday vs. Sacramento.

• Nuggets: Hamilton, Stone
• Lakers: Caracter, Morris

• Nuggets: --
• Lakers: Bryant

• Lead Changes: 16
• Times Tied: 16

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #71 Rodney Mott, #59 Gary Zielinski, #73 Tre Maddox
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:17