Hoops

Nuggets @ Lakers - Game 1 **Spoiler**

Watched the replay, and Denver choked it.
Lost it from the foul line.
Lakers win with smarts. Gasol, misses 2 foul shots, gets an offensive rebound plus the foul on the next trip down the floor between 3 Nuggets, and nails the 2 foul shots.
Way more composed down the stretch. (Also Billups' 3 should not have counted!).

Great call by Phil to foul at the halfway line before the 3 attempt could be put up as well. 2 foul shots insted.

Phil will totally outcoach George Karl in this series, just like in '96.

Good game - I tuned in for the 2nd half. Its looking like it will be a fairly high scoring series. Loved watching Kobe get beat up on the block by Melo!

Experience won out in the end I thought with Denver making too many mistakes in the last few minutes. eg, leaving Fisher wide open in the corner for 3, Carter's inbounds pass, Martin's reach-in foul on Kobe and there was another entry pass either Chauncey or Carter threw away as well.

Also, Denver did not do a good enough job of creating isolation plays for Carmelo in their last few possessions. Carmelo should be able to easily shoot over Kobe and probably Ariza - Odom might be an interesting matchup, because he'd probably force the drive to make Carmelo beat Gasol at the rim.

Contrast Denver's offence late with the way the Lakers got Kobe the ball in good positions = Kobe getting 18 in the final quarter to close out the game.

Couldn;t get it done...Lakes by 2 points in a agame the Nuggets could and probably should have won.

Anthony Carter just threw away any chance the Nuggets had of winning agem with with a terrible pass...Ariza stole it and Kobe headed to the line to make both and open up a 4 point lead with 10 seconds to go...

35.5 seconds to go...all tied at 99 all. After 2 straight misses at the line by Gasol, Billups hit his first triple of the night to give the Nug's a 2 point lead with 1:38 to go.

Come on Nugs! Lakes with possession...

Nuggets up 96-92 with 3:25 left in the game.

Melo with 39 points, Kobe with 32.

Billups just 3/11 on shooting and 0/5 on threes...will big shot step up to lay a dagger into the Lakers?

If Billu[ps had been hitting his shots this game could nearly be over by now...

80-76 in favour of Nuggets...Melo still on fire with 30 points on 11/15 shooting, including 4/4 from 3PT.

Probably already explained on here somewhere, sorry, but what are the dates for the junior finals? I heard that BASA was planning 2 rounds of the finals for one weekend? Can anyone verify this and give me dates?

Fisher from the corner at the end of the half gives the Lakers a 1-point lead...

Kobe just 7/16 from the floor for 16 points to the half. Melo is 8/11 for 20 points.