LOS ANGELES — Imagine if the Nuggets’ rookie power forward was Nikola Mirotic.

Almost happened. The Spanish low-post player was right behind Kenneth Faried on the draft list, with Portland choosing at No. 21 in last June’s draft. Surely, Portland was going to take Faried. After all, the Trail Blazers had seriously inquired about the Morehead State forward. But Portland chose Nolan Smith from Duke, so the Nuggets immediately called in their pick.

Mirotic, who turned 21 in February, went 23rd to Houston and didn’t play in the NBA this past season.

Meanwhile, Faried blossomed for the Nuggets and helped them reach Game 7 of the Western Conference opening-round series against the Lakers. Without Faried’s contributions at power forward, the Nuggets likely would have been eliminated.

Coaches and fans alike have watched Faried grow in this postseason, and it has nothing to do with his scoring or rebounding.

“They’re beating up Kenneth Faried (in this series), and it’s making us tougher,” Nuggets coach George Karl said before the Game 7 tipoff. “We’re seeing that kid stand up to all their cheap shots. Kenneth Faried just gets right back up and stands up and is stronger and stronger. You can see it make Timo (Mozgov) and JaVale (McGee) and our veteran guys want to fight for him and with him. It’s something that I don’t remember a rookie having that influence in a long time on the toughness and energy of the game.”

First things first

Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson followed up his terrific Game 6 performance with a strong first half Saturday night. He scored a game-high nine points in the first half, and had two assists. Heading into Game 7, Lawson had played his three best first quarters in the Nuggets’ three series wins. This is a positive trend for the future, as Karl routinely tells Lawson to make an immediate impact on the game with aggressiveness.

In the Game 3 win, Lawson had 13 points and two assists. In Game 5, at Staples Center, Lawson scored just two first-quarter points but tallied four first-quarter assists, his most first-quarter assists in any game. In Game 6, Lawson had 15 points and two assists in the first half.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Feb. 29, 2012

DENVER — Ty Lawson’s return to the lineup was just what the ailing Denver Nuggets needed.

There’s more relief right around the corner, too.

Lawson had 18 points and nine assists, Kenneth Faried scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-95 on Wednesday night.

Timofey Mozgov had 14 points and nine rebounds and Al Harrington came off the bench to score 13 points and add 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who ended a two-game skid.

“This win will be very important for us,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “I think we gained some confidence tonight and hopefully we can build on it by finding a way to win on the road.”

Lawson missed the previous two games with a sprained left ankle and quickly made an impact. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including a key 3-pointer late to hold off a surge by Portland.

“I wanted to come out strong and aggressive and show everybody I wasn’t hurt,” he said. “When I attack, other people get open.”

The Nuggets might get even healthier in the next week with the expected returns of Danilo Gallinari and Nene. Gallinari has missed a month with a severely sprained left ankle and Nene has missed 13 games this season with a heel injury and a left calf strain.

Reserve guard Rudy Fernandez could return from a strained lower back as early as Friday.

“We’re still hanging in with teams like Oklahoma City, the Clippers, all the top teams and we have three starters hurt,” Lawson said. “Once we get them back, we’re going to be a team everybody’s scared of.”

Lawson return was enough against the Trail Blazers, who have lost nine straight and 16 of 17 in Denver. Their only victory in that span came on Dec. 16, 2007.

They didn’t pose much of a threat Wednesday despite 21 points from Jamal Crawford and 20 points and nine rebounds by LaMarcus Aldridge. Their offense wasn’t enough to offset Denver’s 54-36 edge in rebounding, including a 21-11 advantage of the offensive glass.

“We weren’t able to keep their bigs off the boards tonight and enabled those guys to get a lot of second-chance points,” Blazers center Marcus Camby said. “Rebounding is all about effort.”

The Blazers trailed by double digits for most of the game, but cut it to six three times in the final 7:20. Wesley Matthew’s hit a 3-pointer from the corner to trim Denver’s lead to 91-85, the closest the Blazers had been since early in the second quarter.

The teams traded baskets before Lawson’s 3-pointer with 4:09 left made it 101-91.

“When we put him back in in the fourth quarter he made a lot of big shots, he made a big 3,” Karl said.

The Nuggets never trailed and led by 19 in the third quarter before the Blazers got within nine on Crawford’s 3-pointer with 3:45 left in the period. Denver settled down to lead by 14 heading into the fourth.

Portland trailed by five early in the second when Denver went on a 13-2 run to take a 44-28 lead midway through the period.

Crawford got hot and scored 13 points over the next 3:33 to help the Blazers cut the deficit to 53-45 late in the second. Denver closed the half strong, scoring the last nine points to take a 17-point lead into intermission.

“We just got outworked. Right from the start, they outworked us, pounded us on the boards, pounded us in the paint,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said. “They wanted it more. Mentally, we’ve got to get stronger on the road, playing games like this.”

Faried set the tone early, scoring the first four points and hustling for loose balls and rebounds. His first four rebounds were on offense and his steal and windmill dunk gave Denver the lead for good only 1:17 into the game.

“That Faried kid was blocking shots and running down the court, getting layups, playing with a lot of energy and playing with a lot of passion,” Camby said. “That’s something we were lacking tonight.”

Notes

• Blazers forward Kurt Thomas left with a mild concussion in the first quarter after getting inadvertently kicked in the head by Faried when he jumped to save a ball from going out of bounds. He did not return.
• Denver’s 62 points in the first half were the most given up by Portland this year.
• Harrington notched his sixth double-double of the season.

Ty Lawson’s return to the lineup was just what the ailing Denver Nuggets needed. There’s more relief right around the corner, too. Lawson had 18 points and nine assists, Kenneth Faried scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-95 on Wednesday night. Timofey Mozgov had 14 points and nine rebounds and Al Harrington came off the bench to score 13 points and add 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who ended a two-game skid. “This win will be very important for us,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “I think we gained some confidence tonight and hopefully we can build on it by finding a way to win on the road.” Lawson missed the last two games with a sprained left ankle and quickly made an impact. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including a key 3-pointer late to hold off a surge by Portland. “I wanted to come out strong and aggressive and show everybody I wasn’t hurt,” he said. “When I attack, other people get open.” The Nuggets might get even healthier in the next week with the expected returns of Danilo Gallinari and Nene. Gallinari has missed a month with a severely sprained left ankle and Nene has missed 13 games this season with a heel injury and a left calf strain. Reserve guard Rudy Fernandez could return from a strained lower back as early as Friday. “We’re still hanging in with teams like Oklahoma City, the Clippers, all the top teams and we have three starters hurt,” Lawson said. “Once we get them back, we’re going to be a team everybody’s scared of.” Lawson return was enough against the Trail Blazers, who have lost nine straight and 16 of 17 in Denver. Their only win in that span came on Dec. 16, 2007. They didn’t pose much of a threat Wednesday despite 21 points from Jamal Crawford and 20 points and nine rebounds by LaMarcus Aldridge. Their offense wasn’t enough to offset Denver’s 54-36 edge in rebounding, including a 21-11 advantage of the offensive glass. “We weren’t able to keep their bigs off the boards tonight and enabled those guys to get a lot of second-chance points,” Blazers center Marcus Camby said. “Rebounding is all about effort.” The Blazers trailed by double digits for most of the game, but cut it to six three times in the final 7:20. Wesley Matthew’s hit a 3-pointer from the corner to trim Denver’s lead to 91-85, the closest the Blazers had been since early in the second quarter. The teams traded baskets before Lawson’s 3-pointer with 4:09 left made it 101-91. “When we put him back in in the fourth quarter he made a lot of big shots, he made a big 3,” Karl said. The Nuggets never trailed and led by 19 in the third quarter before the Blazers got within nine on Crawford’s 3-pointer with 3:45 left in the period. Denver settled down to lead by 14 heading into the fourth. Portland trailed by five early in the second when Denver went on a 13-2 run to take a 44-28 lead midway through the period. Crawford got hot and scored 13 points over the next 3:33 to help the Blazers cut the deficit to 53-45 late in the second. Denver closed the half strong, scoring the last nine points to take a 17-point lead into intermission. “We just got outworked. Right from the start, they outworked us, pounded us on the boards, pounded us in the paint,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said. “They wanted it more. Mentally, we’ve got to get stronger on the road, playing games like this.” Faried set the tone early, scoring the first four points and hustling for loose balls and rebounds. His first four rebounds were on offense and his steal and windmill dunk gave Denver the lead for good just 1:17 into the game. “That Faried kid was blocking shots and running down the court, getting layups, playing with a lot of energy and playing with a lot of passion,” Camby said. “That’s something we were lacking tonight.” Notes: Blazers forward Kurt Thomas left with a mild concussion in the first quarter after getting inadvertently kicked in the head by Faried when he jumped to save a ball from going out of bounds. He did not return. … Denver’s 62 points in the first half were the most given up by Portland this year. … Harrington notched his sixth double-double of the season.

DENVER — Even short-handed, the Denver Nuggets finished their first back-to-back-to-back set of the lockout-compressed season on a high note.

Danilo Gallinari scored a season-high 21 points, including a pair of free throws in the final seconds, and the Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 91-86 on Monday night to go 2-1 over the last three nights.

“The Bucks having two days off and us playing three in a row, we knew they had a little bit of an advantage, and they like to run like us,” said Al Harrington, who had 17 points for the Nuggets. “But we always feel playing in Denver with the altitude, if we keep running in the fourth quarter we’ll be in a good position. At the end of the day they got tired.”

Ty Lawson chipped in with 16 points for the Nuggets, who were without Nene because of a bruised left heel. The Brazilian big man’s status is day-to-day.

Stephen Jackson had 17 points and Carlos Delfino added 14 for the Bucks, who were denied in a bid for a third consecutive win — which would have matched their best streak from last season.

The Bucks also were without Mike Dunleavy, who did not make the trip because of an undisclosed illness.

“When you play three games in three nights, the third one is very tough, especially when you play back-to-back (to start the set) with the Lakers,” Gallinari said.

Gallinari said when the going got tough, the Nuggets fed off the crowd.

“In the fourth quarter it’s very easy to find extra energy,” he said. “You have a tight game, you want to win, especially at home.”

Jackson said the Nuggets didn’t appear fazed by the string of games.

“They didn’t look like they had three games in three nights,” Jackson said. “That says a lot about how good of shape they’re in, and they didn’t have Nene, so you’ve got to credit them for that.”

Delfino’s 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 74-68 lead heading into the fourth quarter and Andrew Bogut’s 10-foot hook shot put Milwaukee in front 81-76 with 8:31 left to play.

Gallinari, who also had 10 rebounds, then got the Nuggets going. He drove in for a layup and tipped in a shot as part of a 10-0 run that Harrington finished with successive dunks as Denver went in front 86-81 with 4:01 remaining.

Jackson made a 20-foot jumper to pull Milwaukee to 87-86 with 1:55 remaining. Both sides missed jump shots before Lawson shook loose on a fast break and put in a layup with 10.9 seconds left for a three-point Nuggets’ lead.

Brandon Jennings, who had 12 points, missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the key with about 7 seconds to go. The rebound went to Gallinari, who was immediately fouled. He made both free throws with 5.3 seconds remaining to secure the win.

“We didn’t play very well. We kind of threw the ball all over the place,” said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. “We gave ourselves a chance but we missed layups and we missed open shots.”

Milwaukee took a 44-37 lead after a basket by Luc Mbah a Moute. Denver came back to score 11 of the next 15 points, including tip-in by Gallinari as time expired to even the score at 48-all at halftime.

Notable

The Bucks failed to score at least 50 points in the first half for the first time in four games this season. … The Nuggets second back-to-back-to-back set is in the first week of February. … Gallinari’s previous season high was 20 points, scored the night before in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. … Jennings scored 20 or more points in each of his first three games before ending the streak with his 12-point outing against the Nuggets. … Denver has won eight of its last 10 meetings with the Bucks at the Pepsi Center.

Nuggets 91, Bucks 86

MILWAUKEE (86)

Jackson 7-18 2-2 17, Ilyasova 3-7 0-0 6, Bogut 5-12 2-4 12, Jennings 5-16 2-2 12, Delfino 5-11 1-3 14, Gooden 1-3 0-0 2, Leuer 4-5 0-0 8, Udrih 3-6 0-0 7, Livingston 1-4 0-0 2, Mbah a Moute 3-6 0-0 6, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-88 7-11 86.

DENVER (91)

Gallinari 5-12 10-12 21, Koufos 3-4 2-2 8, Mozgov 2-9 0-0 4, Lawson 7-13 2-2 16, Afflalo 2-8 0-0 4, Andersen 0-3 0-2 0, Harrington 7-12 2-3 17, Miller 3-12 0-0 6, Fernandez 1-3 2-2 5, Brewer 3-7 3-4 10. Totals 33-83 21-27 91.

Milwaukee 30 18 26 12 — 86

Denver 24 24 20 23 — 91

3-Point Goals — Milwaukee 5-19 (Delfino 3-6, Udrih 1-2, Jackson 1-5, Ilyasova 0-2, Jennings 0-4), Denver 4-19 (Brewer 1-2, Fernandez 1-3, Harrington 1-5, Gallinari 1-5, Miller 0-1, Lawson 0-1, Afflalo 0-2). Fouled Out — None. Rebounds — Milwaukee 48 (Delfino 9), Denver 63 (Gallinari 10). Assists — Milwaukee 19 (Jackson, Bogut, Udrih 4), Denver 22 (Lawson 6). Total Fouls — Milwaukee 20, Denver 15. A — 14,142 (19,155).

Kobe Bryant reached another career milestone in a mostly forgettable performance by the Los Angeles Lakers star. Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night. The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier. Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range. “We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defense against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.” Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter. He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four. “We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defense.” “He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said. After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it. Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left. “It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.” The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver. “I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said. Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left. The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again. “He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.” The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points. “I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.” Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50. Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50. NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER — Kobe Bryant reached another career milestone in a mostly forgettable performance by the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night.

The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.

Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from three-point range.

“We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defence against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.”

Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a three-pointer but missed his next four.

“We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defence.”

“He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it.

Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

“It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.”

The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver.

“I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said.

Bryant missed a three-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

“He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.”

The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points.

“I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first three-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from three-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in three-point shooting.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DENVER — Kobe Bryant reached another career milestone in a mostly forgettable performance by the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night.

The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.

Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from three-point range.

“We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defence against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.”

Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a three-pointer but missed his next four.

“We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defence.”

“He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it.

Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

“It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.”

The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver.

“I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said.

Bryant missed a three-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

“He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.”

The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points.

“I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first three-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from three-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in three-point shooting.

The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.

Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range.

“We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defense against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.”

Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four.

“We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defense.”

“He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it.

Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

“It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.”

The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver.

“I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said.

Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

“He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.”

The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points.

“I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

NOTES: Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range. … The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule. … Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games. … Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 1, 2012

DENVER — Kobe Bryant reached another career milestone in a mostly forgettable performance by the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 points and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 99-90 on Sunday night.

The Nuggets scored the final 11 points and avenged a three-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles less than 24 hours earlier.

Bryant scored 16 points to become the sixth player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points. He is first among active players and is 584 points behind former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Reaching the benchmark came on a night when Bryant was 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range.

“We were trying to be aggressive on him and trying to make him take some bad shots,” said Gallinari, who spent much of the game defending Bryant. “When you play defense against him he can make some tough shots. But we did a pretty good job.”

Bryant came into Sunday needing just four points short of 28,000 but he didn’t get it until he hit a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

He had a rough start to the night and it never got better. Bryant missed his first five shots and committed two offensive fouls before sitting in the final minute of the first quarter. He returned midway through the second, hit a 3-pointer but missed his next four.

“We’ve got tough defenders,” Lawson said. “Kobe’s a great player, he probably had an off-night tonight, but, still, we played great defense.”

“He looked tired. I’m glad we were putting pressure on him and making him take tough shots,” he said.

After a seesaw battle for most of the final period, the Nuggets closed strong to win it.

Gallinari had two fast-break layups to give Denver a two-point lead with 2:07 left. After Pau Gasol missed a short turnaround jumper, Lawson’s layup gave the Nuggets a 94-90 lead with 1:20 left.

“It was big,” Lawson said. “Getting easy layups, making free throws and getting stops. We needed that, especially after the last game.”

The Lakers could have used a strong night from Bryant to complement the play of the Lakers’ post players. Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough against Denver.

“I think fatigue had a lot to do with this loss because we weren’t playing very smart,” Bynum said.

Bryant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the circle near the end and Al Harrington hit a 12-foot jumper to make it 96-90 with 49 seconds left.

The Lakers took a 90-88 lead on Bryant’s layup with 2:47 left and didn’t score again.

“He’s got to continue to find his stroke,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “I told the entire team that we shot too many jump shots. We’ve got to drive the ball or get the ball inside, one of the two. We didn’t do a good job with either today.”

The Nuggets held a 26-5 edge in fast-break points.

“I feel they have size at every position on the court and I feel we have speed at every position on the court,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “The only way I know to incorporate it into a strategy is try to play fast and quick.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, the Lakers came out strong in the third quarter. Bynum scored seven points in the first four minutes, including a three-point play that tied it at 50.

Denver didn’t hit its first field goal of the second half until Lawson’s drive gave the Nuggets the lead back with 7:03 left. Gallinari followed with Denver’s first 3-pointer of the game to make it 55-50.

Notes

• Denver was 2 for 18 from 3-point range.
• The Lakers have played six games in the first eight days of the season, including three in three nights to open the schedule.
• Lawson has scored in double figures in four of Denver’s first five games.
• Denver came into Sunday second in scoring in the NBA but 24th in 3-point shooting.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Raymond Felton was 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?”

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?”

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)

Raymond Felton was 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?”

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Dec 29, 2011, Updated 8.3 hours ago

On a night in which the Denver Nuggets stole the Trail Blazers blind as Ray Charles and Portland’s Wesley Matthews got hot as Mila Kunis in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” ironic it was that Matthews’ steal was the game’s biggest play.

The Nuggets trailed 104-100 with two minutes remaining, but point guard Ty Lawson – fast as a Vegas-strip nightclub all night long – was streaking toward the Portland basket aiming to cut the gap in half.

In his path was Matthews, who poked the ball away from Lawson and grabbed it for a turnover. Seconds later, Raymond Felton was burying a long 3-pointer to kick off a 7-0 run that put an exclamation point on a 111-102 victory Thursday at the Rose Garden.

The win pushed the Blazers’ record to 3-0 and left them as one of a half-dozen unbeaten NBA teams after just five days of action.

Guards Matthews, Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford – all igloo-cold from the field the first two games – combined for 70 points to steer Portland through turbulent waters.

It was a fast-paced, intense and entertaining matchup between Northwest Division rivals on a night when each was very good at some things and very bad at others.

“A confusing game in the sense of what the stat sheet looked like,” observed Portland coach Nate McMillan.

To wit:

• Portland lost the turnover battle 25-7. At one point late in the fourth quarter, the Blazers had 24 giveaways to the Nuggets’ four. It was the biggest turnover disparity in franchise history for a game in which the Blazers won. The Nuggets scored 29 points off Portland’s 25 turnovers, while the Blazers got 10 points off Denver’s seven giveaways.

“You don’t win a lot of games with 25 turnovers,” McMillan said. The Nuggets “pose some matchup problems for you, trying to guard their spread offense and small unit. We were just too loose with the ball, too many guys trying to do too much. (But) we found a way to get a win.”

• Portland lost the steals battle 16-3. Lawson fleeced the Blazers eight times. Denver scored 28 fastbreak points to 11 for Portland.

• Portland won the rebound battle 50-30. Marcus Camby led the way with 12, but all seven other Blazers who played had at least five.

• Portland won the blocked-shot battle 9-2. Camby swatted three.

• Portland won the shooting battle in a landslide. The Blazers fired at a .519 clip from the field – .618 in the second half. They were 1 for 10 from 3-point range in the first half, 7 for 10 in the second half. Denver shot .402 from the field, but that was the good news. The Nuggets were 0 for 11 on treys in the first half and missed 12 in a row before Lawson finally hit one in the third quarter. They finished 4 for 20 from beyond the arc.

“We couldn’t find an offensive rhythm – or even an offensive player – and we still stayed in the game,” Denver coach George Karl said.

Portland jumped in front 19-6 as the Nuggets chipped paint off the rim, or worse – Al Harrington had three airballs, including one on a free throw in the first half. The Blazers led 30-17 after one quarter, with the Nuggets taking 29 shots and making only eight to that point.

But Denver reeled in the Blazers, getting to a 53-53 tie at the half.

The Nuggets were on top 59-55 early in the third quarter when Matthews found a zone, bombing in four straight 3-pointers in a three-minute stretch to take Portland on a 14-4 spurt and into a 69-63 lead.

Things stayed close until near game’s end. Denver’s last lead was at 93-92 with 7:30 to play, but the Nuggets were very much in striking distance when Matthews turned the tables on Lawson for the steal that broke the visitors’ back.

Matthews had just turned the ball over at the other end.

“The one thing I was thinking was, ‘I’ve got to get the ball back,’ “ he said. “It was too late in the game for a turnover. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if a turnover cost us something.”

1 | 2 Next Page >>