LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant scored 40 points and produced an inspired fourth-quarter performance to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 18 of his points in the final quarter, including six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds, as the Lakers recovered from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit.
Pau Gasol scored 13 points and made 14 rebounds while making game-tying free throws in the final minute before Bryant sealed victory from the free-throw line. “We just had to push through it,” Bryant told reporters. “We didn’t come with the kind of energy we wanted (and) guys were a little fatigued.
“This was a good win. It was a gut check for us.”
Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points on 14-for-20 shooting for the Nuggets, who were unable to hold an 89-82 advantage with seven minutes remaining.
“We didn’t do enough to win,” said Nuggets coach George Karl.“I don’t know what you want to analyse, we played a very good game the only thing we did poorly at the end was turn it over.“There are no moral victories in playoff basketball. The next 48 hours will be difficult.”
Denver led 99-97 with 1:38 left then failed to score on two possessions. Chauncey Billups gave Denver one final hope with a three-pointer that pulled his team within 103-102 with six seconds left.
Bryant, however, immediately added two free throws and then grabbed the all-important rebound off Nuggets’ guard J.R. Smith’s missed free throw to end the game.
“(Kobe) was a scoring effort for us. We had very little else going tonight and he muscled his way through that game,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
Anthony blazed his way to 16 points in the first quarter where Denver jumped ahead 31-23 and had a prime opportunity to get the upper hand over the Lakers but were held back by poor free throw shooting (23-for-35) and untimely fouls.
Both teams suffered minor injuries when Bryant dislocated a finger in the fourth yet kept playing, and Denver’s Smith sprained his knee at the conclusion of the game but is expected to play in game two today.
