Lakers put away Denver with Kobe deferring to his posts

Kobe Bryant is best known for his on-court heroics.

But his words after a critical loss made the difference for the Lakers in a 96-87 win in Game 7 over the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center that set up a Western Conference semifinals meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bryant’s jabs to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum after a Game 6 loss, coupled with the return of Metta World Peace, touched a nerve with the big men.

Both answered the call on Saturday. Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, and Bynum collected 16 points and 18 rebounds. In typical Kobe fashion, Bryant chimed in with two of his 17 points in the final moments and dished eight assists.

“Their presence in my opinion makes us different, if we can continue to have a presence around the rim on both ends of the floor like we did tonight,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Gasol and Bynum. “For those guys to have high double-doubles like they did, it was a heck of a night for those guys.”

With the win, the Lakers avoided becoming the ninth team to allow an opponent to come back to win after being down 3-1 in a series. The Lakers also pushed their franchise record to 12-1 in Game 7s.

Much of Los Angeles’ improvement on that record was predicated on patience, something with which Bryant has seldom been associated. But on Saturday, he didn't force the action and allowed teammates to step up at big moments. Bryant didn't lead the Lakers in scoring for the first time in the series, and Steve Blake and World Peace rewarded his trust with 19 points and 15, respectively.

The takeaway from World Peace’s return came on the defensive end, which spilled over and led to the Lakers playing a tougher brand of basketball.

“I didn’t realize that Andre Miller and (Danilo) Gallinari were a combined 2-for-19,” Brown said. “Yeah, that’s our team defense, but Metta had a lot to do with that.”

Both teams shot 39 percent from the field. The 3-point disparity was the difference. Denver was 7-of-26 on 3-point attempts, while Los Angeles finished 11-for-24. The Lakers also shot nine more free throws.

Ty Lawson was dominant at points in the game and finished with 24 points, six assists and five rebounds. Reserve Al Harrington emerged from a funk brought on by his broken nose to score 24 points.

Their performances couldn’t overcome the fact that no Nugget had ever played in a Game 7, and that the team’s veteran, Miller, was 0-8 in playoff series before facing off with the Lakers.

Los Angeles used its experience to dictate pace and grind the Nuggets into a slower game that better suited Gasol, who played with a fire he lacked in previous contests.

At no point was he more active than on a third-quarter possession where he tapped the ball endlessly and finished the play with his 17th point. He followed up a Bynum miss shortly afterward.

“I came out really aggressive trying to pound the boards, just forget about the shots that I could miss or if I don’t get enough touches,” Gasol said. “I just got to be aggressive and I gotta get ... in the paint.”

Sounds like something Kobe would say.

source: aol.sportingnews.com