Nuggets top Lakers for sixth straight win
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers lays up a shot against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center at the Pepsi Center 09 April 2007 in Denver, Colorado. AFP |
The win pushed the Nuggets a game and a half ahead of the Lakers in the race for sixth place in the Western Conference standings.
Los Angeles, led by Kobe Bryant's 23 points, have now lost six of their last eight games.
Anthony iced the win with two free throws with seven seconds remaining. That gave Denver a 114-111 advantage after Bryant had cut the margin to one with a pair of free throws a second earlier.
Bryant missed a three-pointer with two seconds remaining that would have tied the scores.
The Lakers guard made only nine of 30 shots in a sub-par performance and did not hit his first field goal until 2:59 remained in the first quarter. He had only nine points in the first half.
Denver led 92-82 after three quarters but the Lakers rebounded to take a 105-104 lead with four minutes to play.
Steve Blake put Denver back ahead with a three-pointer at 3:46.
The Nuggets did not make a field goal the remainder of the game but survived on eight free throws.
Luke Walton contributed 19 points and Lamar Odom had 18 for the Lakers. Allen Iverson backed up Anthony with 24 points for the Nuggets.
Marcus Camby controlled the boards, pulling down 22 rebounds, and blocked seven shots.
Elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks wrapped up the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 96-86 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, with German star forward Dirk Nowitzki contributing 26 points.
The Toronto Raptors won their fourth straight with a 111-100 come-from-behind road victory as Anthony Parker scored 24 points.
Agencies
(China Daily 04/11/2007 page24)
