Lakers Make Quick Work of the Nuggets

By BRETT POLLAKOFF

Updated 10:33 PM PST, Fri, Nov 21, 2008

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Based on the way that the Nuggets have been playing lately, you would have thought that tonight's game at Staples Center would have been pretty competitive. It was not. Denver basically got blown out from the opening tip, falling behind by as many as 27 points in the first half before falling to the Lakers, 104-90.

The Nuggets had won five of their last six games since trading Allen Iverson to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups, including beating the Celtics and the Spurs convincingly on the road. With the Lakers playing the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Suns in Phoenix last night, Denver probably thought they could get off to a quick start against them and have a shot to hand L.A. its second loss of the season. But the Lakers came out firing, making the Nuggets look a step slow from the get go. Kobe Bryant started off hot with 11 first quarter points, Vladimir Radmanovic made his first three point attempt of the game (after hitting all five last night), and before Denver knew what had happened, the Lakers were up by 15 at the end of the first quarter.

L.A. began the third quarter with a 20-point lead, and the Nuggets made the obligatory NBA run to cut it to 11 about halfway through the period. The Lakers came right back though with a 14-2 run of their own, putting this one away for good and getting their 10th win in 11 tries on the season, which is good for the league's best record. Kobe was able to sit out the fourth quarter, after scoring 29 points on 12-18 shooting.

This was the second time the Lakers have beaten the Nuggets this season, and the ninth straight time (including playoffs) that we've seen the same result. Even after swapping Iverson for Billups, it's clear that Denver is truly out of answers when it comes to playing the Lakers.