NBA Talk: Lakers-Nuggets Game 3

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Kobe Bryant’s 41 points lifts Lakers over Nuggets. He’s back to be popping bottles! Jack Dempsey/AP

By: Josh Dhani

It’s no wonder Spike Lee wanted to make the movie, Kobe Doin’ Work, because he certainly was last night. Bryant was back to popping bottles when he scored 40 points or more again, that makes it twice in this series! This is certainly an exciting series and this was, no doubt, the best game I have seen in the series.

Trevor Ariza was also popping bottles by making important shots. Ariza was bigger than Kobe in the game, saving the Lakers by stealing an inbounds pass to make sure it will be a victory. And when it’s victory, it’s all good.

At the end of the third quarter, J.R. Smith made a surprising three pointer over Sasha Vujacic, and then trashing him. When I saw J.R.’s lips moving, it sounded like he was calling Sasha a mother f***er.

Man, J.R., don’t be like that!

“Trevor, he’s very crafty, he’s long, he’s fast, he’s quick and he’s a ball hawk,” Bryant told ESPN. “He does a good job of reading those things. It’s a great defensive play.” And when Bryant mean by “defensive play” he was talking about the inbounds pass Ariza stole.

Lamar Odom did the same thing he did in the first game of the series: guarding that inbounds pass. This time, he had to do it over Kenyon Martin (a.k.a Thug). It was the 6’9″ Martin against the 6’10” Odom.

“He’s long, look at him,” said Sasha Vujacic of Lamar to, again, ESPN. “He’s very long. He’s athletic. He’s got eyes behind his ears. He knows how to jump all around the ball.” Sure he does.

In the final 22 seconds of regulation, Bryant sunk four free throws. But the game was already over when Bryant sunk a three right over the guy who is known for threes: J.R. Smith. Bryant made it, right behind the arc, to seal the victory because it already looked over when it was 96-95. Then Trevor Ariza made it more sealed when it was 99-95.


After that amazing three by J.R. Smith over Vujacic to make it 79-71 at the end of the third, Smith gets a little cocky. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times
It wasn’t a good game for Denver. Their highest scorer? Carmelo Anthony with only 21 points. Ratio of ‘Melo with Bryant? 21:41. That’s horrible for Denver! Then there was Birdman’s seven rebounds against Gasol’s eleven. Then Billups seven assists against Bryant’s five, Fisher and ‘Melo both had three steals, and Andrew Bynum and Birdman were tied for three blocks.

Pau Gasol was the main “big man” of the game when he scored 20 and, like I mentioned, tripping over eleven boards.

“I think Gasol was the key to them winning tonight,” Anthony said. “Getting him going and him making shots, it made it hard to double-team him and still try to guard Kobe out there.”

So now we have it. That is that. Kobe pops bottles again and is Doin’ Work. That is how you get it done. Anthony struggled, and Ariza sparked. Gasol was the key, Birdman was close. And the Lakers win it: 103-97.

Now we have to see what happens tonight as the Cavs face the Magic. Tonight? Heck yeah, tonight! Will there be another game-winning shot like the previous two games involving the King and Rashard Lewis. Will the Magic bow down to the King, or will Superman save the day? We’ll find out at 8:30 on the beloved network for NBA games: TNT.

Stay tuned..for another edition of NBA Talk!

Lakers-Nuggets Recap (Courtesy of NBA.com)

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