L.A./Denver Took Different Routes
Both teams entered the game under vastly different circumstances.
L.A expects to be here every year, but struggled to find their way. They dispatched the eighth seeded Utah Jazz in five games, but allowed a Houston Rockets team playing without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady to force Game 7.
The Denver Nuggets haven’t been here since 1985, but their path thus far has been smooth. They dominated the New Orleans Hornets, winning the series by an average margin of 30 points - including a Game 4, 58 point win. In the second round they finishing off the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
Things figure to be different this time as the defending conference champions meet a new-look Denver anchored by Chauncey Billips.
Here are some observations from the first half:
1st Quarter:
- Both teams started extraordinarily focused. Credit the Lakers' experience and veteran leadership. Billips receives full credit for Denver.
- Both teams have a swagger about them. While L.A.’s seems to live and die according to Kobe, Denver’s is more individualistic. Each player carries themselves according to their own game, and they have developed a visible comfort with each other, noticeably absent pre-Billips.
- Kobe started slowly, but looked extremely focused. He scored eight points in the quarter and was 4-7 from the floor. He was aggressive with his shots, taking all his shots within 18 feet.
- Lakers are played Nuggets' style. They need to slow the pace down to set up their offense. Lakers were 7-20 from the floor while Nuggets were 10-16.
- Fisher was shut down by Billips. He went 0-3 for the quarter and couldn’t find room to penetrate.
- Kenyon started strong for the Nuggets. He was 4-6 for the quarter with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist.
- Carmelo Anthony dominated the first quarter with Trevor Ariza defending him. He finished 6-7 with 14 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.
- Billips is the leader of this team. He was 1-4 from the field and 0-2 at the line, but he had 6 assists in the quarter. He knew his shot wasn’t falling so he set up teammates.
- Quarter ends Denver up 31-23 and controlling the game.
2nd Quarter:
- The Lakers' calmness from the first quarter turned into laziness to start the second, a bit like they played in the Houston series.
- Bynum was shut down by Martin and NeNe. He went 2-3 in the first quarter, but had only one shot in the second as Gasol took over the post duties.
- ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy made an interesting statement: He says the Lakers’ Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton are “energy guys” and calls them the “wildcards.”
Every contending team needs those “energy guys” to come off the bench and change or maintain the pace of the game. In this case, Walton and Farmar came off the bench to change the pace of the Lakers and helped closed the gap in the score – indeed as wildcards.
Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao is perhaps the best example of a wildcard, player off the bench. He provides all the hustle plays, i.e. loose ball scraps, offensive rebounds, screens, charges, and put-backs.
- The Lakers' second team of Jordan Farmar, Walton, Lamar Odom, and Sasha Vujacic provided a spark for the Lakers and scored 13 points.
- Denver had success driving to the hoop and dishing out for a jumper or dunk. L.A. defenders collapse on the driving player and the Nuggets continued to find open teammates.
- The Staples Center was quiet. It has been said that the arena loses considerable noise during the playoffs because the studio executives and Hollywood-types come to watch, instead of the passionate every-day fans from the regular season. Part of this is due to the raise of ticket prices for the postseason.
- Nugget had uncharacteristic free throw problems. They finished the half 12-21. Most surprising is the struggles from the line for Billips. In the first half he missed the same number of free throws he has missed the entire 2009 postseason: three.
- Bynum and Odom each have three first half fouls.
- Denver's defense is much better than in previous years. They are reading passes and getting two bodies out to the shooter when on the perimeter.
- After two consecutive dunks, NeNe has 14 points. He is constantly open on the backside when L.A. fails to rotate quickly enough.
- Kobe had 7 points in the quarter and went 2-6 with no assists. The Lakers cannot win with this kind of performance from him.
- L.A. reserve forward, Josh Powell, provided great energy off the bench in contributing 4 points, 1 block, and 1 assist in four minutes.
- Lakers picked up their intensity and the score is now consistently close.
- Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer after going 0-6. It was a perfect play by Kobe. He made a move to the basket and knowing he’d draw the Nugget’s full attention, he passed it to Fisher – who was waiting, wide open, in the corner.
Halftime Observations:
- Game 1 is lacking the 'flavor' of previous playoff series such as Orlando-Boston, L.A.-Houston, Denver-Dallas, and Boston-Chicago. Both teams realize any mishaps could cost the game.
- The three bigs: Martin, NeNe, and Chris “Birdman” Andersen contributed 45 of Denver’s 54 first half points.
- ‘Melo dominated the first half. He had 20 points at the break.
- Denver's bench averaged 32 points a game this postseason. At the half, they are getting outscored 3-20 by the L.A.’s bench.
- During the second round, each team went through an emotionally draining series: Denver in a trash-talking, technical foul-filled affair with Dallas and L.A. in a fast-paced, seven game brawl with Houston. Neither team carried their emotions over as both went about their business in a professional manner.
The first half ended 55-54, Lakers on top. The Nuggets seemingly controled the entire half, however. The Lakers' Bryant and Bynum need to step up and Denver's Billips and sixth man J.R. Smith need to do the same.
