Lakers vs. Nuggets: Denver defeats Lakers, 119-105

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The game got so out of control in the first half that Lakers Coach Phil Jackson didn’t play Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in the second half of a 119-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Bryant played 10 minutes and Fisher played nine minutes. Each guard scored six points.

Denver didn’t play Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The Lakers finished the exhibition season with a 6-2 record. They open the regular season Tuesday night at Staples Center against the Clippers.

One would think after the replacement officials called five technical fouls and two flagrant fouls in the first half that both the Lakers and Denver Nuggets would cool out in the second half. They called a flagrant foul 1 on Joey Graham for throwing an elbow at Sasha Vujacic in the second quarter and a flarant foul 1 on Shannon Brown for a hard foul on Ty Lawson.

Kenyon Martin and Jordan Farmar were given technical fouls in the first quarter.

Lamar Odom, Chris Andersen and Vujacic were issued technical fouls in the second quarter.

Usually the Nuggets have been the hot-headed team. But this time, the Lakers lost their composure, too.

The funny thing: Ron Artest was nowhere to be found in all the madness. He was on the bench when most of it happened.