One and twelve.
That is Pau Gasol’s career record in Playoff games.
But what a one it was, 36 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists.
All game highs.
Jaw dropping. Simply astounding.
Aside from arguably the best statistical Playoff performance since Big Game James, the Lakers also went up one game to nil against the Nuggets.
In nearly every way the Lakers showed that they are indeed, worlds apart from the Denver Nuggets.
They did it with supreme execution on the offensive end and indifference at the defensive side of the floor.
Guess which half of that equation will have to change.
As Game Two approaches and the City reaches a fever pitch, it is important to keep a watchful eye on the way the Nuggets respond to the events of Sunday afternoon.
After Pau exposed last year’s Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby underneath the hoop will the Nugget’s last line of defense regain his shot-blocking stature?
After Kobe’s wretched 9-26 afternoon, will Coach George Karl stick with Kenyon Martin as a defender?
Can the Lakers tighten up on defense and deny Linas Kleiza another big game off the bench?
The Denver Nuggets are full of could-haves, should-haves and never-dids. The Lakers are teeming with potential that is finally being fulfilled.
See the difference?
Playoff Update! -
Preceding the Lakers on TNT is Game Two of the East’s 1 vs. 8 matchup. The Celtics cruised to a 104-81 undressing of the Atlanta Hawks in Sunday’s Game One.
Sources from the innards of the TD Banknorth Garden state that if the C’s tally a 30+ point lead that Kevin Garnett and Danny Ainge will have the option to tag-team wrestle any current and former Hawk duo at mid-court.
Look for a KG & Danny versus Mookie Blaylock & Zaza Pachulia brawl by the Third Quarter.
Television -
National: TNT (Marv Albert & Reggie Miller)
Los Angeles: Fox Sports West (Joel Myers & Stu Lantz)
Denver: Altitude (Chris Marlowe & Scott Hastings)
Radio -
Los Angeles: AM570 KLAC (Spero Dedes & Mychal Thompson)
Denver: KKFN The Fan 104.3 FM (Jerry Schemmel & Jason Kosmicki)
Injuries -
Lakers:
- Out: A. Bynum (Knee), T. Ariza (Foot)
- Questionable: D. Mbenga (Ribs)
- Will Play: K. Bryant (Pinkie), D. Fisher (Foot)
Nuggets:
- Questionable: Nenê (Groin)
Storylines -
Trade Request Rescinded!: It finally happened. It took 83 games. Kobe came out and said it:”I love the weather. I love my ‘63 drop-top Impala. I love the 405.” Oh, yeah, he loves being a Laker too. Sure is nice to hear. Exhale.
One Technical, Two Technicals, OUT! The burning question is really if Allen Iverson was already booted in Game One (due to what my mother deemed was “bad manners”), what will happen in Game Two!? Do these Nuggets truly have enough self-control to make it to the Second Half? Will J.R. Smith try and throw down in fisticuffs with Jack? Will that wacky dreadlocked gnome the Nuggets call a Strength and Conditioning Coach, Steve Hess spontaneously start making out with Kenyon Martin? Will Carmelo try and hydrate himself solely with Appletinis and Miller Chill?
This is the way I see it going down.
Varsity Challenge -
(Prize – A Mitch Kupchak Brand Throat Lozenge!)
How many Denver Nugget starters have been arrested for possession of Marijuana?
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Lets go into Denver being up 2-0!
I KNOW THEY CAN DO IT!
WINN!
-PHANOMIFIED..
1-12 lets make it 16-12 or 16-?
Laker Nation,
It was a great game for us last Sunday.
I cant wait to continue forward and ultimately bring a championship to the greatest fans in the world.
keep the faith,
Pau
[commenter is a fraud. not pau. just a liar-varsity optimism]
lakers win by 20
7 out of the 5 starters have been arrested for possession of marijuana.
I would just like to remind anyone who might be going to this game of how stupid it was that we chanted “DUI” at Carmello last time. I was very disappointed in the Laker fans once again. Mainly because I know how stupid the road fans sound when I go to the games and hear them yell rape comments at Kobe. It has nothing to do with basketball, and it’s classless. Also, our very own beloved Jerry Buss was arrested in the summer for the very same thing. So if anyone is going, don’t be the pot calling the kettle black.
P.S. The Lakers were up by 10 when the crowd first started that chant. Denver then came back and built up a 7 point lead.
Well put Swiggle. I agree with you 100%. Go Lakers.
Look for the Nuggets to come out strong in this one…but as usual the lakers will prevail
Kobe is gonna show y he’s MVP.
you win…you just win. too effin funny.
stfu if they want to do that let them don’t come on here starting $hit because those people payed their money to go see that so they have a right to do it and. Obviously it helped us out cuz carmelo was horrible from the freethrow line and they missed about 15 freethrow so that def helped us out not to mention how much we won by Now isn’t that ironic so if be would of made the freethrow it would of been a whole different game so stfu thats what home court advantage is all about and that little run they hAd was becuz we got lazy and wasn’t playing our game.
If the lakers get back in transition, they win this next one by 20. Kobe is going to go off! as the nuggets try to contain Pau & Lamar. Look for a bunch of wide open Three’s!
Not to take anything away from Pau’s performance nor big game James, How about Magic’s 40 and 20 boards in his rookie season? Or his Triple doubles, night in and out. (including the playoffs.)
Here’s to 6′9″ point guards pulling down 20 boards! The greatest ever to lace um up!
Pau’s awesome, Kobe’s superb, rest ot the team is playing great b ball, but it’s time to thank and appreciate having Lamar Odom on this ball club. Check out his website, http://www.lamarodom.com and see his biography. Odom when through some harsh life and I know and am sure we all did at some point. I think everybody is talking about paying him less to keep him in Lakers, but he deserves a good contract!!! I’ve learned and have so much more respect for Lamar and hope he can stay with Lakers for more years to come. Thanks Lamar and keep ballin!!!
Chris Mihm is coming back,PJ said on Espn.They’ve paired him at center with Pau at power forward.THIS IS GOOD COMPENSATION’TIL AB(or Ariza,probably him more than Bynum) get back.
Laker by 8,114-106.
Let’s go 2-0, baby!
Guys I am a huge Lakers fan but I cannot deny that Denver is going to win the series. The Lakers showed talent last time but it was probably luck. Gasol and Bryant can try but its the lack of heart in Odom and Walton that will destroy us. Sorry guys but its the truth.
wow uhm i guess ill speak for all of us. SHUT UP!
I’ll say it better for us STFU!!!!!
I feel we have a SPY on our site,fellas.So let’s greet our wanna-be Lakernationite with a warm welcome,shall we………GET THE F!@# OFF OUR SITE!
IHATELAKERHATERZ.com,go to Denver if you feel like CRYIN’,stupid A*$!!!
Very well said DC!!!!!!!!
Thanx,SliqRiq.
Maybe he was HIGH(NAAAAH!He was a DUMBA$$)
Lakers by 15. We are clearly the better team. Enough said.
Go Lakers!
12 out of 5 starters + 7 bench nuggets
all i could say is da lakers r unstopable rite now nd now imagine wen bynum nd ariza come back.
so am sorry 4 da rest of da nba teams but yall got 2 wait atleast 8 years 2 win a championship again.
7 out of 5 huh..last I heard 7 doesn’t go into 5
i know lakers 24 7.. im confused maybe im stupid but 7 into 5 dont go huh???
2-0 lakers
Dang boy, what’ve you been smoking, some pot? Been getting drunk, been sniffing some glue or sharpie? If you aren’t, then that means that you must be in love with CP3 being MVP, you hate the Lakers, you love LeBron, you hate Kobe, you love the Suns and Warriors, etc. So just go on suns.com and say to us every single day on our site “Suns rule, Lakers drool, Suns are smart, Lakers are stupid”! RETARD!!!!!!
What the #@%$ are you on lakersnation for if you want the @#$%^&*@ nuggets to win. Get off this site.
What is DUI???
Driving under the Influence (of Alcohol)
LOL
I just like the fact that the pressure is not on The Lakers to win a Championship this season but every team this season(including Memphis)has played their best games against them like it is,that’s quite a compliment to this team.
People ask me(The Laker HATERZ….BASTARDS)do I think we can beat Boston in Finals,I pause………F!@$ YEAH!
24/7/16GETIT.com,I think they need to should pass out pacifiers at the game tonight,F!@#IN’ CRYBABIES!!!
go Lakers!!!!!!!!!! like Stu saids we cant give them mouth to mouth we have to pull the plug! 08 Champs!
is ronny going to play at all this series. how sick he is and the altitude