Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol embrace as they put the finishing touches on the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers teammates (from right) Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Luke Walton congratulate Shannon Brown after he made a key basket against the Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Nuggets guards Chauncey Billups, left, and Anthony Carter know their season is almost over in the final minutes of the fourth quarter Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Kobe Bryant gives Nuggets Coach George Karl a hug after the Lakers eliminated Denver on Friday night in Game 6. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers players listen to Phil Jackson speak at the trophy presentation following Friday night’s 119-92 victory over the Denver Nuggets. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers power forward Pau Gasol draws a foul as he power his way past Denver’s Linas Kleiza, right, and Chris Andersen in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant takes off for slam dunk in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant finishes off a dunk against Denver in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Denver All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony watches as the Lakers celebrate their large lead in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant attempts a fade-away jumper over Denver point guard Chauncey Billups in the fourth quarter Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is fouled by Denver center Nene as he attempts a shot on a drive down the lane in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Luke Walton draws a charging foul on Nuggets guard J.R. Smith in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers center Andrew Bynum dunks over Denver center Nene in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers point guard Derek Fisher tries to fight through a screen set by Denver power forward Kenyon Martin as he pursues Chauncey Billups in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers power forward Pau Gasol gets tangled with Denver forward Linas Kleiza as they go after a rebound in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant celebrates a three-pointer against the Nuggets in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Denver center Chris Andersen makes a pass as he loses his balance and falls between Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups shows his disgust with a charging call against him in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza slams home two of his 10 points in the first quarter Friday night in Game 6. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers center Andrew Bynum takes a hard foul against Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony early in Game 6 on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is fouled by Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin during a drive to the basket in the first half Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers center Andrew Bynum is fouled by Denver guard Dahntay Jones while grabbing a rebound in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza celebrates after making a three-pointer against Denver in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Denver forward Carmelo Anthony tries to power his way past Lakers big men Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in the first half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant watches his three-point shot go in despite the close-out defense by Denver’s Chris Andersen in the second quarter Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after making a three-pointer in the final seconds of the second quarter Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers power forward Pau Gasol looks for a jump ball during Game 6 on Friday night in Denver. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic gives chase after a loose ball early in the second half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Denver center Nene contorts his body around Lakers center Andrew Bynum so he can make a pass in the first half Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Luke Walton is fouled by Denver center Nene, who set a screen for teammate Carmelo Anthony in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is fouled as he splits the defense of Denver’s Kenyon Martin, Nene and Carmelo Anthony on Friday night in Game 6. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after missing a shot while being fouled in the second quarter of Game 6 on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant arrives to help power forward Pau Gasol to his feet after Gasol was fouled hard on a drive to the basket Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Denver center Nene draws a charging foul on Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who went up to make a pass while driving down the lane Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza makes a pass to center Andrew Bynum, but Denver center Nene was in position to draw a charging foul and negate the play Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant celebrates a three-pointer against Denver in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers power forward Pau Gasol knocks the ball away from Nuggets center Nene, who was looking to pass to teammate Chauncey Billups in Game 6 on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers power forward Pau Gasol walks through the tunnel to the court at the Pepsi Center before the start of Game 6 on Friday night in Denver. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Owen Luft peeks over a barrier in hopes of getting an autograph from Nuggets big man Chris Andersen before Game 6 in Denver on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Nuggets center Chris Andersen signs the jersey of Nuggets fan Owen Luft before Game 6 on Friday night at the Pepsi Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Joe Mendoza, left, and Anthony Garcia wait courtside before Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Tanner Jones, the 3-year-old son of Denver guard Dahntay Jones, hangs on the rim after dunking the ball with a little help on Friday night before Game 6. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)