Lakers in a squeeze play
The Lakers certainly didn’t envision this.
Trying desperately to squeeze some momentum into the final two weeks of the regular season, they instead find themselves squeezed by the Denver Nuggets and, quite possibly very soon, the Clippers for sixth place in the Western Conference.
It’s getting cozier than they would like, but the Lakers have only one entity to blame after a 111-105 loss Tuesday to Denver at Staples Center.
Themselves.
Shoddy defense. Missed free throws. A rare air-ball three-point attempt by Kobe Bryant in the final minute.
It all led to the Nuggets (37-36) closing to within 1 1/2 games of the Lakers. Not far back, the Clippers (36-37) are lingering 2 1/2 games behind the Lakers (39-35), with the teams playing tonight at Staples Center.
Like the Lakers’ season, the ending to Tuesday’s game was as unpredictable as could be.
Included in the final minutes of a game video the Lakers won’t want to watch: Two missed free throws by Andrew Bynum, a short driving attempt by Bryant, a missed free throw by Luke Walton and a three-point attempt by Bryant that touched nothing with 54 seconds left.
“It’s a roller-coaster ride,” forward Lamar Odom said. “I think we’ve showed we can play well with any team in the league [and] we can stink it up a little.”
This being the Lakers, there was also another injury.
Denver center Marcus Camby stepped on Kwame Brown’s left ankle while taking a shot in the second quarter. Brown has missed 28 games since initially spraining the same ankle Dec. 31 against Philadelphia.
Brown, averaging 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds before Tuesday, is day to day.
“He twisted that ankle again,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “He said he went out and tried it the second half before we resumed play. When I came through the tunnel, he was coming off the floor and said he couldn’t go.... I really don’t know where that leaves us.”
Where it leaves the Lakers is in a deeper hole than expected after a 26-13 start that had them lingering on the fringes of the top four teams in the West. It also leaves them with the tough chore of needing to go 6-2 to match last season’s 45-37 record.
The game started on notes somber and celebratory for the two head coaches.
Denver Coach George Karl was replaced by Nuggets assistant Adrian Dantley because Karl’s son, Coby, had surgery Monday to remove cancerous lymph nodes. Karl could return to the team in time for tonight’s game against Sacramento.
“I am sure Coach Karl would be happy with the game,” Dantley said afterward.
On the other bench, Jackson received a standing ovation from the crowd after a pre-game video montage honored his selection into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Beforehand, Jackson implored the importance of the next few games, understanding the need for momentum going into the playoffs, assuming the Lakers make them.
“I think this game’s important for us because it sets off a week and a series of games that goes from here to next Monday that could really decide a lot about how our season ends up,” Jackson said.
After tonight’s game against the Clippers, the Lakers play Friday in Seattle, Sunday at home against Phoenix and Monday in Denver.
The highlights were few and far for the Lakers on Tuesday.
Odom finished with the Lakers’ first triple-double this season: 17 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. It was the 11th triple-double of his career and the third since he joined the Lakers before the 2004-05 season.
Bryant had 39 points and created more space from Denver forward Carmelo Anthony (31 points) for the league scoring title, but Anthony took the victory Tuesday night. (Bryant also became the youngest player in league history to score 19,000 points, accomplishing it at 28 years, 223 days old.)
In the end, it the Lakers’ third in four games.
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Playoff race
*--* W L GB 1. Dallas 62 12 -- 2. Phoenix 56 18 6 3. San Antonio 53 21 9 4. Utah 48 25 13 1/2 5. Houston 47 27 15 6. LAKERS 39 35 23 7. Denver 37 36 24 1/2 8. CLIPPERS 36 37 25 1/2 9. Golden State 35 39 1 1/2 10. New Orleans 34 40 2 1/2
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KEYS TO THE GAME
* Smush Parker’s 18-footer gave the Lakers a 102-101 lead with 4:32 to play, but the Lakers were outscored the rest of the way, 10-3.
* Denver center Marcus Camby, not known for his offensive prowess, scored 21 points. He also had 20 rebounds.
* The Lakers were three for 17 (17.6%) from three-point range. The Nuggets were five for 10 (50%).
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-- MIKE BRESNAHAN
All things Lakers, all the time.
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