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Nuggets 101, Lakers 94
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LOS ANGELES — The Denver Nuggets won their seventh in a row over the Los Angeles Lakers, earning a 101-94 overtime victory on Sunday night at Staples Center.
Forward Wilson Chandler scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half to lead Denver (6-7), which won its fourth straight game. Point guard Ty Lawson had 18 points and 16 assists.
Guard Kobe Bryant scored 27 to lead the Lakers (3-11), who have lost six of seven at home. Point guard Jeremy Lin had 17 points, backup center Robert Sacre had 13 points and a career-tying three steals for the Lakers and center Jordan Hill added 11 points and 14 rebounds.
A free throw followed by a 3-pointer from forward Danilo Gallinari with 1:28 left in overtime gave the Nuggets the lead for good at 94-90. Bryant’s fadeaway cut the deficit to two, but Lawson’s bucket with a minute left pushed the lead back to four.
Two free throws by Lakers center Jordan Hill with 21.7 seconds remaining pulled Los Angeles to within 96-94, but guard Arron Afflalo, who finished with 15 points, converted two foul shots for a 98-94 advantage with 18.7 seconds left.
Bryant’s jumper tied the score at 82 with 3:50 left in regulation before forward Wesley Johnson’s three-point play — a crowd pleasing dunk over Gallinari and a free throw — gave the Lakers an 85-82 lead with 3:15 remaining.
Mozgov hit a foul shot with 1:59 left to cut the lead to two before Hill hit a free throw to extend the lead back to three.
A basket by Afflalo pulled Denver within 86-85 with 1:22 remaining. Gallinari hit one of two free throws to tie the score at 86 with 16.3 seconds remaining, but Bryant, who failed to score on four consecutive possessions in the final two minutes, couldn’t connect on a jumper with about two seconds left. Gallinari was called for traveling before he inbounded the ball with 0.5 second, giving the Lakers possession. Guard Nick Young’s 3-pointer at the horn was wide, though.
The Lakers played without forward Carlos Boozer, who sat out the contest with a strained left shoulder.
NOTES: Denver coach Brian Shaw ranks Lakers G Kobe Bryant as the second-best shooting guard in league history behind Michael Jordan. “I think it’s 1A and 1B in terms of two guards and I don’t think there’s much difference between the two,” said Shaw, who played on three Lakers championship teams with Bryant. “Obviously, Michael has six championships, and without what Michael did Kobe wouldn’t have anything to shoot for.” Denver was 12-6 in 18 previous meetings with Los Angeles. … The Nuggets host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. … The Lakers resume their four-game homestand Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
