Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets, Game 5

FIRST QUARTER

Hello and welcome, one and all, to the place to go for all of your NBA Western Conference news and updates. I'm in my recliner, beverage of choice close to hand, let's get it started.

atmosphere is electric at the staples center tonight, jack nicholson is there! i wonder why sometimes people think it makes opposing teams nervous having him courtside...

FIRST QUARTER

DEN: Anthony (F), Martin (F), Nene (C), Jones (G), Billups (G)
LAL: Ariza (F), Gasol (F), Bynum (C), Fisher (G), Bryant (G)

interesting lineups from both sides. a key to the game will be how Ariza plays. If he can hit his trademark three's and bring the defensive intensity, I think the Lakers will take game five. For the Nuggets the main question is if Melo is truly healthy and ready to score like he did in the first two games. That being said, Melo was not at his best and they dropped 120 on the Lakers. Interesting debate on Gasol, is he not getting enough touches?

ALL TIMES ARE THOSE OF THE GAME

@12:00 Lakers win the opening tip. nice shot fisher misses an open look from three.

@11:29: Billups knocks down the three.

@10:39 Ariza and Billups both have it their way and get lay ups at opposite ends of the floor.

@10:03 K-Mart throws it down for another early dunk, just like in game four, dunks it like a colonist!

@ 7:12 LAL FULL TIMEOUT. Denver off to a decent start in game five.

@7:08 LAL Kobe lobs it up to Bynum, who throws it down for the two points. 11-7 Nuggets.

@6:11 DEN offensive foul on Anthony. LAL on a bit of a run now as Bynum dunks again. Could he be finally walking the walk? 12-11 Lakers

@5:26 DEN FULL TIMEOUT. 8-0 run by the Lakers, look out Denver. LAL looks completely different at home.

@5:09 Nene wanted it more and gets the putback ending their scoreless streak.

@4:32 Ariza misses and Gasol grabs the rebound and puts it in. Then Anthony at the other end drives the basket, hits the shot, and draws the foul on Bynum, but misses the resulting FT. 16-15 Lakers.

@3:26 Denver gets the offensive rebound, no surprise, and Billups hits an open 3. but then Ariza shows he wants to ball in this game five with a great run to the basket and lay up.

@2:53 LAL Gasol proving to be a good provider, as he catches then passes to a streaking Ariza who is fouled in the act of shooting. Ariza hits one of two FT's.

@2:23 questionable foul called on Billups as he goes up for a lay up on Ariza. that's two on him. terrible call.

@1:57 Lakers bigs showing up tonight as Odom hits a shot. what a terrible call though on Billups, as to how the Nuggets rotate in addition to how nice a start Mr. Billups was off to.

@1:03 BIRDMAN WITHA BLOCK ON ODOM!

@36.6 what lazy defense by the nuggets as Farmar gathers his own miss and easily lays it in.

END OF THE FIRST

BIRDMAN WITH ANOTHER BLOCK!! Odom cannot help himself from getting owned by Andersen. If I had to make a call on who is going to win the game, I'd say the Lakers, who look like a different team than they were on Monday. That being said, don't count the Nuggets out of this one. It will be interesting to see what affect Billups' two fouls will have on the second quarter. All tied up at 25.

SECOND QUARTER

Time to get things restarted back here at the big stapler. great first quarter, let's hope the next three are just as high quality!

@11:41 J.R. Smith looks like he is going to keep things consistent and have a good game five. Assited a K-Mart 20 footer.

@10:48 Luke Walton can block? Anthony, cool as a cucumber, or a watermelon, knocks down the J.

@10:10 Odom proving he is not Bum-dom and takes it to the basket, hits and draws a foul from Andersen, his second. hits the FT. 29-28 Nuggets.

@8:54 shooting foul on Linus Kleiza. As is his usual this series, Mr. Softee holds the ball for too long and misses. Denver collects the rebound and Smith lays it in. 31-28 Nuggets.

Epic Fail of the night goes to Lamar Odom trying to drive a kids go-kart, a little big arentcha Mr. Odom?

@8:12 Walton was like hey! over here! and gets a wide open lay up. 31-31.

@7:20 JR assists a great lay up by the birdman. 33-31 Nuggets.

@6:12 the Nuggets may want to consider doubling down on Bynum, who just says Birdman, watch ME fly and gets the lay up.

@5:54 LAL FULL TIMEOUT. The Nuggets are turning it over way too much thus far and still they are only down 1. 36-35 Lakers.

@5:27 great play by Kleiza, fakes the shot and blazes to the hoop for an easy lay in. 37-36 Nuggets.

sorry mr. odom, you're off the hook. Epic fail goes to van gundy for making a hillary clinton reference. i know i'm really white, but he is even more so. "like hillary clinton said, it takes a village," in reference to how the Lakers are getting points from Odom, Fisher, and Bynum. Then Kleiza decides he wants in and misses two of three FT's. 38-38.

@4:28 Mr. Softee assists beautifully to Bynum, who lays it in and draws the foul. Bynum misses the and-1. 40-38 Lakers.

@2:36 wow two bad possesions leads to a thing of beauty by the nuggets, anthony to smith to anthony to martin who gets the easy tranistion lay up. then Billups picks up his third foul already. considering how badly things have gone for the Nuggets, they are still in it with a shout and are up two. 44-42 Nuggets.

@1:50 great play at both ends of the floor. Smith hits a long-distance three and then Kobe drives, hits the lay-up and converts his and-1 opportunity as neither team can separate themselves from the other. 49-47.

@46.9 Andersen blocks but Odom says hey I remember how to play basketball again and hits the shot.

@24.9 Kleiza can't handle a simple inbounds pass... Odom must feel like kid who got told he could have everything in the candy store.

HALFTIME

Disappointing play from the Nuggets has allowed the Lakers to come back into the game, as Vujacic hits the Lakers first three. Not that great of a first half in all honesty, both teams are not doing enough to put their stamp on the game. If the Nuggets can play this poorly and still lead for most of the game, then I'd be worried if I was a Lakers fan to see what happens when they actually play well. That being said, it's all tied up at 56 here at the half.

THIRD QUARTER

@11:36 Sloppy play from both sides as Pau laughably asks for a call.

@11:15 Anthony hits a three and then Kobe proves why he is a superstar and dunks off a great pass from Fisher.

@10:40 Nuggets just say hey I want the ball more than you Lakers and Jones after two offensive rebounds gets an easy uncontested lay in.

@9:12 Bryant with an unstoppable shot, damn he is good.

@8:26 K-Mart hits another open jumper from distance as the Lakers give him as much attention as liberals give alan keyes.

@7:58 fourth foul on Nene, as Ariza gets incredibly lucky and draws the foul. Ariza hits 2 of 3 FT's. 67-64 Nuggets.

@7:22 Bynum picks up his fourth and heads to the bench. Enter Lamar Odom.

@6:28 ANDERSEN BLOCK! Nuggets still can't hit the shots to put the Lakers away....

@6:03 FULL TIMEOUT DENVER as Mr. Softee dunks it. Something about him I just don't like. Denver is disappointingly not taking advantage of their opportunities and the Lakers looked poised to take advantage. 71-66 Nuggets.

@20 SECOND TO DENVER. BLOCK BY SENOR SOFTEE. but shannon brown can't hit the open three. Nuggets waste a timeout. STILL 71-66.

@4:17 DUNKTASTIC as Shannon Brown dunks over Andersen. "This is how you get a Birdman in your poster!" Oh and Odom wiht a three, all of a sudden, we're tied.

@3:01 Nuggets have messed up four possesions and now the Lakers can take the lead. They are unsuccessful in that endeavor as Kobe misses a 3 (poor shot selection by Bryant) and then Odom gracelessly runs down and manages to knock the ball out of bounds instead of saving it. FULL TIMEOUT LAL. 73-73.

@2:07 Billups THREE points. Boy did the Nuggets need that. Then Kobe hits a three.

@35 seconds: Who does Odom think he is? Chris Paul? Nuggets steal but fail to convert.

What a fantastic game. Everything tied here at the big stapler. This really is anyone's ball game. The Nuggets again are unable to make their advantage pay as they fail to convert on two possessions. My prediction for the fourth quarter is that Kobe decides to take the game over and carries the Lakers to a game five win. But I'd rather be wrong. At every break the score has been tied, stay tuned for the fourth quarter recap to find out how it all (might) end(s).

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER

FOURTH QUARTER

Well this is Black Mamba time. Let's see if the curse of the Nike puppets continues...

Denver Nuggets: 76
Los Angeles Lakers: 76

@10:56 Soft touch from Mr. Softee as he takes advantage of his height and lays it in over Birdman 78-76 Lakers.

@9:43 ODOM DUNKS AND A FOUL! Lakers have their largest lead of the game at only four. Andersen and Gasol get techicals for being retards. Excuse me a double T on Brown. Odom makes his FT. lead up to five. 81-76.

@9:33: Now Nene gets a technical, n***a calm down! George Karl needs to get his team back on track or the wheels could fall off quick. FULL TO DENVER. Anthony needs to get off the bench and provide some relief for the struggling Nuggets offense.

@8:54: takeover time for the mamba. Lakers up 85-76 Lakers

@8:11: huge jumper from Shannon Brown, Staples Center is bouncing here tonight. 87-76 Lakers

@7:19 great clutch three from Kleiza 89-81 Lakers.

@6:35 91-81 Lakers. The Nuggets can only trade buckets. If it continues, the Lakers will definitely take this game.

@4:58 LAL FULL TO. Nuggets are showing some signs of life but are still unable to get a good hold on the game.

@4:27 CARMELLO WITH A DUNK AS DELICIOUS AS A MILKY WAY CANDY BAR!

@4:02 Nene fouls out for the third time in this series.

@3:38 ARIZA LAYS IT IN AND A FOUL! just terrible defense by the Nuggets. 96-89.

@3:22 Gasol with a block.

@3:04 terrible foul call on Billups, his fourth, as Odom goes to the line. Misses both.

@2:24 OFFICIAL TO. Lakers look like they are in complete control. Jack Nicholson & Co. are loving it.

@1:24 great move by melo, 96-91 Lakers

@1:00 Odom converts a 3 point play

Game over, the Nuggets threw this one away. Lakers showed their resolve and take a 3-2 series lead to Denver to try and close it out. The Nuggets aren't done yet, as they are a different team in Denver. Lakers just outclassed them.