The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers produced a second-half comeback to beat the Denver Nuggets 95-89 on Sunday and record their first victory over their Western Conference rivals this season.
Lamar Odom recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench and Kobe Bryant made up for a poor shooting day with 12 assists as the Lakers came from 11 points down in the third quarter to triumph in a clash of the top teams in the Western Conference.
“Mentally we had to let them know that if we play the right way we can beat them,” Odom told reporters after his team had been routed in two previous meetings with the Nuggets. “Teams you feel like you’re going to see down the road, you want to let them know you can beat them.”
PHOTO: AFP
Los Angeles trailed for most of the game before Bryant, who made just three baskets from 17 attempts from the floor, made two free throws to give his team a 91-89 edge with 3:02 remaining.
Carmelo Anthony scored a team-high 21 points for Denver before fouling out with 2:19 remaining. The Nuggets (39-20) had beaten the Lakers (45-15) in their two previous meetings this season.
Denver appeared to be headed for a victory when they held a 64-53 lead in the third quarter, but Los Angeles used an 11-2 spurt to get back into the game.
The final quarter went back and forth with Chauncey Billups giving his team a late lead twice with jump shots before Ron Artest put the Lakers up 89-87 with a three-pointer.
Artest had 17 points and six steals while playing smothering defense on Anthony who finished 7-for-19 from the field.
Bryant struggled from the outside but was routinely double teamed and managed to find his team mates for easy scores including Pau Gasol, who scored 15 points and made 14 rebounds.
“I had to get into playoff mode a little bit, we put the ball in my hand and just let me make the decision,” Bryant said. “I caught the ball in the post and made them double me.”
Buillups scored 17 points, while Arron Afflalo added 16 for the Nuggets, who shot just 35 percent from the field and fell 5.5 games behind Los Angeles.
SPURS 113, SUNS 110
At San Antonio, Richard Jefferson scored 20 points in his best game since losing his starting job as the San Antonio Spurs beat Phoenix to end the Suns’ five-game winning streak.
Amare Stoudemire registered a season-high 41 points and added 12 rebounds for Phoenix, but Jefferson and the Spurs hung on late to hand the Suns only their second loss since the All-Star break.
Jason Richardson could have tied it with about 40 seconds left, but blew an uncontested dunk on a fast break.
MAVERICKS 108, HORNETS 100
At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 36 points and Caron Butler had 19 in his return to the Dallas lineup as the Mavericks extended their NBA-high winning streak to seven.
The Hornets had cut what had been a 25-point deficit to 101-97 after Darren Collison’s 3-pointer with 2:44 left capped the rookie’s stretch of eight consecutive points. But New Orleans didn’t get any closer and Collison, who had a season-high 35 points, had consecutive turnovers in the final minute that Dallas turned into baskets.
HAWKS 106, BUCKS 102, OT
At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored nine of his 24 points in overtime, and Josh Smith had 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Atlanta end Milwaukee’s winning streak at six.
MAGIC 96, HEAT 80
At Orlando, Florida, Rashard Lewis had 22 points, and Vince Carter added 17 to help Orlando overcome Dwight Howard’s sub-par game.
Howard, who had 20 straight double-doubles, was in foul trouble most of the game and finished with seven points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
Dwyane Wade, who returned to the Heat lineup after missing four games because of a strained calf, led Miami with 21 points.
Also on Sunday, it was:
• Wizards 89, Nets 85
• Thunder 119, Raptors 99
• Kings 97, Clippers 92
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