Nuggets End Lakers Triumphant Streak At Nine
In a matchup of two NBA Western Conference teams in very good form, the Denver Nuggets denied the Los Angeles Lakers their 10th straight triumph by defeating the defending World Champions 95-90 at the Staples Center on Sunday. The win improved Denver’s winning streak to 6 games and helped harden their lock on 5th place in the Western Conference standings. The loss dropped the Lakers to 2.5 games back of the West leading San Antonio Spurs who had little difficulty defeating the Phoenix Suns earlier in the day.
The Nuggets outright win enriched NBA enthusiasts that had backed them as +7 road underdogs against the Lakers. Denver has struggled to win on the road for much of the season and this victory improved their record away from ‘The Mile High City’ to 16-22-still a far cry from their 31-7 record at home. The Lakers dropped to 29-9 at the Staples Center this season. The 185 combined points scored went well UNDER the posted total of 200.
Lakers’ center Pau Gasol was disturbed by his team’s incapacity to put the Nuggets away:
“We just didn’t get the game under control, especially in the fourth quarter. We just gave them too many odds to the point where they supposed they could take the game. And they took it. They’re a very flexible team and they’ve got a lot of guys that add in different ways.”
Gasol was also concerned about a sore knee, though by all indications the injury is nothing serious:
“I jammed my knee pretty good. It’s sore, but they permitted me to play. So optimistically it will be nothing.”
Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson concurred that his team made errors, but also gave the Nuggets credit for their contrary play:
“I told the team we beat ourselves, but it’s not the complete story. I think Denver is very violent, and they created the 20 turnovers that really injure us in the course of the ballgame. It turned out to be a very physical game. Denver was clever to come out in the second half and shoot the ball attractive well.”
Nuggets’ trainer George Karl said that versatility is key on a team without a ‘go to’ scoring threat:
“We don’t have a closer that’s going to make a big-time shot, but we have guys that are organized for the challenge. As a team and a coaching staff, we have to job together to try to get good shots in that place.”
Denver will return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday followed by road games against the Mavericks in Dallas and a rematch with the Thunder. The Lakers host Utah on Tuesday before road games at Golden State and Portland.
Daniel Scott is a freelance writer and noted authority on bookmaking software. He loves boxing and his project writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports books and price per head sites. He lives in France, Paris in a expensive house, next to his own boxing club.
