Center Andrew Bynum scored 29 points in his first game of the season after serving a suspension as the LA Lakers came from behind to beat the Denver Nuggets 92-89 in Los Angeles.

Bynum’s layup sent the Lakers ahead 91-89 with 1:52 to play as they powered past Denver’s five-point fourth-quarter lead.

He had been suspended for the first four games of the shortened NBA season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas in the Western Conference playoffs last season.

Bynum had been originally suspended for five games but that was reduced because of the shortened schedule.

The big man also had 13 rebounds and two blocked shots as new coach Mike Brown’s coaching style suited his play.

“They’re looking for me a lot and I’m a focal point early in the offense,” Bynum said.

But he paid a price in the early going, he said.

“I was winded like crazy today,” the out-of-shape Bynum said. “First game … I couldn’t breathe in the first six minutes.”

But even if he was winded, his domination inside was too much for the Nuggets to handle.

“His power around the basket, we haven’t seen it yet,” Denver coach George Karl said.

“We’ll have to make some adjustments on him, there’s no question.”

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each added 17 points for the Lakers, who had started the season 0-2 but have now won three successive games.

Al Harrington led the Nuggets with 21 points.

The Nuggets had an 85-80 lead after Harrington’s three-pointer with five minutes to play.

But the Lakers pulled even at 89-89 on Bryant’s two free throws after Derek Fisher’s hustle to save the ball after missing a three-pointer.

Then Bynum blocked Nene Hilario’s layup attempt and got the go-ahead basket.

Meanwhile, Denver was drawing blanks.

“We get three layups and a couple free throws in the last three minutes of the game and we miss all of them,” Karl said.

“We gave them too much hope, from Bynum and that loose ball from Fisher, and we never got that defensive confidence because we didn’t rebound the ball.”

Reuters

(Reuters) – Center Andrew Bynum scored 29 points in his first game of the season after serving a suspension as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Denver Nuggets 92-89 Saturday.

Bynum’s layup sent the Lakers ahead 91-89 with 1:52 to play as they powered past Denver’s five-point fourth-quarter lead.

He had been suspended for the first four games of the shortened NBA season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas in the Western Conference playoffs last season.

Bynum had been originally suspended for five games but that was reduced because of the shortened schedule.

The big man also had 13 rebounds and two blocked shots as new coach Mike Brown’s coaching style suited his play.

“They’re looking for me a lot and I’m a focal point early in the offense,” Bynum told reporters.

But he paid a price in the early going, he said.

“I was winded like crazy today,” the out-of-shape Bynum said. “First game … I couldn’t breathe in the first six minutes.”

But even if he was winded, his domination inside was too much for the Nuggets to handle.

“His power around the basket, we haven’t seen it yet,” Denver coach George Karl told reporters. “We’ll have to make some adjustments on him, there’s no question.”

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each added 17 points for the Lakers, who had started the season 0-2 but have now won three successive games.

Al Harrington led the Nuggets with 21 points.

The Nuggets had an 85-80 lead after Harrington’s three-pointer with five minutes to play.

But the Lakers pulled even at 89-89 on Bryant’s two free throws after Derek Fisher’s hustle to save the ball after missing a three-pointer.

Then Bynum blocked Nene Hilario’s layup attempt and got the go-ahead basket.

Meanwhile, Denver was drawing blanks.

“We get three layups and a couple free throws in the last three minutes of the game and we miss all of them,” Karl said.

“We gave them too much hope, from Bynum and that loose ball from Fisher, and we never got that defensive confidence because we didn’t rebound the ball.”

(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Salvo North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Andrew Bynum had 29 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs, and the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets, 92-89, on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.

Bynum shot 13 for 18, helping the Lakers win their third straight following the team’s first 0-2 start since 2002-03.

The 7-foot center was suspended without pay for the first four games of the season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas point guard Jose 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 NBA lockout.

Bynum totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers.

Kobe Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame 2-for-24 shooting from three-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 Lakers missed their first 12 shots from 3-point range — all of them 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.

Derek 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 get a timeout with 2:29 remaining and the Lakers still down by two.

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 Ty Lawson, who then 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 after a missed jumper by Bryant at the other end.

Bynum made four of his first five shots and finished the first quarter with 10 points. 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.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Raymond Feltonwas less concerned about showing up his old team than he was with helping his new one pull out a win.

Felton had 23 points, including a key 3-pointer down the stretch, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 111-102 on Thursday night to remain undefeated after three games.

“We showed some guts,” said Felton, who spent time last season with the Nuggets. “We showed we could get a tough win.”

Wesley Matthews had 25 points, including five 3-pointers in the second half, and Jamal Crawford finished with 22 points, 14 in the fourth quarter.

Portland, which opened the season with wins over Philadelphia and Sacramento, led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but the team was plagued by 25 turnovers.

Ty Lawson had 25 points and eight steals for the Nuggets. His 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter tied it at 98 before the Blazers pulled away.

It was the season’s first loss for Denver, which was coming off a 117-100 victory over Utah on Wednesday night.

While the Nuggets had just seven turnovers, they couldn’t hit from beyond the arc, making just four of 20 3-point attempts.

“We had a lot of open shots and we didn’t knock them down – simple as that,” Lawson said. “I don’t know how many threes we missed, and most of them were wide-open shots.”

The teams traded point guards on NBA draft night in June. The Blazers got Felton, now a starter, while the Nuggets got Andre Miller, who backs up Lawson.

The Nuggets also have former Blazers player Rudy Fernandez on their roster. The Spanish shooter was traded to Dallas on draft night, then sent to Denver in a deal earlier this month.

Nuggets coach George Karl noted Denver’s many connections with the Blazers, including his own friendship with Portland coach Nate McMillan.

“Your enemies motivate you,” Karl said. “But your friends really motivate you.”

Felton hugged Karl on the court just before the game started, and Miller was greeted with hearty applause when he came into the game midway through the first quarter.

Afterward, Felton said his motivation wasn’t to beat Denver, with whom he played in 21 games last season after starting the season with the Knicks.

“The city was good to me. The fans were good to me. Nothing against them,” he said. “Just trying to get the win.”

The Blazers jumped out to a 30-17 lead in the first quarter after Nicolas Batum‘s pass to Kurt Thomas for the layup under the basket. The 13-point lead came despite eight turnovers in the opening period.

Denver closed to 44-41 on Danilo Gallinari‘s dunk with just over four minutes to go before the break. Al Harrington hit a driving layup to pull the Nuggets even at 53 at halftime.

Lawson pulled the Nuggets in front 57-55 early in the second half, but Matthews made four three pointers. The Blazers went back up 69-63 midway through the third quarter.

The Blazers clung to the lead until former teammate Fernandez made a layup and a 3-pointer to tie it at 84 early in the fourth.

After Lawson hit a 3-pointer to make it 98-all midway through the final period, Jamal Crawford hit a free throw – for his 14th point of the quarter – and Matthews sunk a jumper and a 3-pointer to give Portland a 104-98 lead.

Arron Afflalo made a pair of free throws to narrow it for Denver, but following some sloppy play by both sides, Felton hit his 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 107-100 lead with 1:45 left.

“At the end we just missed our assignments and left them open for the threes,” Lawson said.

LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers’ leading scorer, was held to 13 points. He blamed “heavy legs.”

“It’s tough out there, but definitely happy to see the guards carry us,” Aldridge said. “They made some big shots. I was trying to do my job and force two to play me, and find the guy who was open.”

NOTES: The home team has won the series between the Nuggets and the Blazers for the past eight meetings. The teams split their four games last season. … The Nuggets were 0 for 11 in 3-point attempts in the first half. … A fan in the stands held a sign in the fourth quarter reading, “Denver, where is Tebow when you need him?”

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