Lakers Face Off with the Nuggets
The Los Angeles Lakers took some time before advancing into the Conference Finals, but nonetheless, they were able to get the job done. The Lakers will now be facing a tougher, stronger, and more experienced team in the Denver Nuggets.
Led by Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets sailed through the first two rounds of the playoffs playing winning 8 of their 10 games. They only lost once in each round of the playoffs. The Nuggets are probably one of the biggest surprises this season. The only difference in their lineup: Chauncey Billups. With the addition of Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets have become one of the top contenders in the West. They were able to finish the regular season with the second best record in the West. Besides the addition of Chauncey, the return of Nene has also been instrumental. He has become, once again, a force in the middle. Kenyon Martin has also stepped up and is playing like he used to during his days in New Jersey when he helped the Nets reach the NBA Finals. Carmelo Anthony has also shown more maturity in his game as he is the team’s anchor in scoring.
On the other hand, the Lakers are determined to return to the NBA Finals. They lost last season to the Boston Celtics in six games. The Lakers finished with the best record in the Western Conference during the regular season. They finished second to Cleveland in the race for the best record in the league. Kobe Bryant, the team’s best scorer and leader, had to carry his team on his shoulders during the postseason at times. Big thanks as well to Pau Gasol who has been stepping up his game and playing the way he should be, scoring, rebounding, and blocking shots. Trevor Ariza has also stepped up in the postseason. He has provided a lot of help to the superstars of the Lakers. Probably the only missing link in the Lakers’ game would be Andrew Bynum. Bynum hasn’t been playing too well in the postseason. They will really need him to step up if they plan to beat the Nuggets.
Game 1 is on its way. We will see how the two teams will play each other and who will jump to a 1-0 series lead.
Leave a Comment