NUGGETS OUTLAST LAKERS TO EVEN SERIES

Game two of the NBA Western Conference finals was very similar to game one, only with a decidedly different outcome.  After a narrow loss in game one, the Denver Nuggets were the better team down the stretch on Thursday night as they earned a 106-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.  The best of seven series is now tied 1-1 as the action shifts to Denver for the next two games.

The Nuggets also covered the spread for the second straight game, this time winning outright as +5’ underdogs.  The combined 209 points managed to again sneak UNDER the posted total of 211.  The Lakers have now gone UNDER in six straight games, and 10 of their last 12.  Denver evened their playoff total tally at six UNDER and six OVER.  It was only the Lakers’ second straight up loss in the last ten meetings between the two teams at The Staples Center and only the third time in that stretch they failed to cover the pointspread.  It was also the Nuggets first playoff win against the Lakers in their last twelve tries, dating back to 1985.

Carmelo Anthony got the upper hand in the battle between the teams’ respective superstars, leading all scorers with 34 points and just missing a ‘double/double’ with 9 rebounds.  Chauncey Billups chipped in for 27 points while Kenyon Martin and reserve Linas Kleiza scored 16 points each.  Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points, with Trevor Ariza adding 20 in the losing cause.  Pau Gasol had his second ‘double/double’ of the series, posting 17 points and 17 rebounds.  Lamar Odom contributed 10 off the bench as the only other Laker to score in double digits.

Clearly pleased with his team’s victory, Denver coach George Karl predicted that neither team would go down easily:

"It's going to be a long series. There was just a demand that we had to win this game. There was an inner spirit. We're a much more smart, mentally tough team than you look at last year and what we are now. It's a great win."

Nuggets leading scorer Carmelo Anthony shared his coach’s enthusiasm:

"To get one on the road is always tough. We came in and got it. We're mentally tough and we showed that in this game coming off the loss that we gave away in Game 1."

In the Lakers’ locker room, Kobe Bryant tried to send a message of calm as he cited his team’s league leading road record:

"They have home court advantage now. Now it's time to go to Denver, see if we can do the same. We're not the best road team in the NBA for no reason."

The Lakers have been very successful in Denver of late, winning and covering three of the last four matchups at the Pepsi Center.  Game three is set for Saturday night, and as of late Thursday night there’s no line on the game pending an update on the condition of Nuggets’ superstar Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony twisted his ankle in the game, though he insisted that he’d be ready to go come Saturday.