By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times –
LOS ANGELES—Bring on Oklahoma City?
The Los Angeles Lakers lolled and lurched against the Denver Nuggets before finally prevailing in Game 7, 96-87, to end their first-round series Saturday at Staples Center.
In a season where nothing came easy, where unpredictability easily beat out the sane and rational, the Lakers lost a 16-point third-quarter lead but came back to win.
(PHOTO: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shoots over the Denver Nuggets’ JaVale McGee (34) in the third quarter in Game 7 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.)
It was nonsensical, Steve Blake leading the way with 19 points and outscoring Kobe Bryant (17 points) and Andrew Bynum (16).
It was chaotic, Pau Gasol capturing the night on one fourth-quarter possession, taking six rapid-fire offensive rebounds and missing five shots before finally scoring on a tip-in of his own miss.
It was official: Game 1 in the Western Conference semifinals is Monday in Oklahoma City. The Lakers, not the Nuggets, will be there.
Game 2 is Wednesday, followed by a highly unusual back-to-back Friday and Saturday at Staples Center.
Oklahoma City has been watching and waiting. The Thunder will have gone nine days between games before Monday’s tip-off.
The Lakers, though, could exhale for one night.
Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, finally playing the part of a four-time All-Star.
He was pumped from the start, eager to improve upon his dismal three-point, three-rebound effort in Game 6. He was quick to exhort teammates, quickly pulled Ramon Sessions off the court after a hard foul from Timofey Mozgov, and scored on a tip-in at the second-quarter buzzer to give the Lakers a 48-42 halftime lead.
“You saw the hunger,” Blake said.
Said Gasol: “I just wanted to bring a better effort than I did in Game 6. I’m not a player that can put up three points and three rebounds.”
Blake made five of six three-point attempts and provided the outside shooting the Lakers desperately needed. He hadn’t scored this many points since lighting up the Lakers, of all teams, for 23 in April 2010 while with the Clippers.
Metta World Peace buzzed around the court all night, guarding seemingly every Nuggets player in his return from a seven-game suspension for elbowing Oklahoma City guard James Harden in the head.
He made four of 11 three-point attempts, had 15 points and uncorked plenty of kinetic defense, collecting four steals and two blocked shots. He took turns guarding point guard Andre Miller and forward Danilo Gallinari, who missed a combined 17 of 19 shots.
“He was huge,” Lakers Coach Mike Brown said. “He made plays tonight that won’t show up in the stat sheet that were absolutely freakin’ amazing.”
The Nuggets seemed done after Bryant sent Gallinari into the air with a fake pass before converting a left-handed finger roll over JaVale McGee. It gave the Lakers a 62-46 lead with 7:22 left in the third quarter.
They were caught, though, at 68-68 after 13 stunningly quick points from Ty Lawson in a five-minute span. Then they trailed early in the fourth quarter, 73-69, after Al Harrington scored on a reverse layup and a three-pointer.
But Blake began to hit more threes, Bynum and Gasol controlled the post, and the Lakers played a little defense.
Bynum had 18 rebounds, a playoff career-high for him, and nine on the offensive end. Gasol had 11 offensive rebounds.
“Their presence makes us different than anybody else,” Brown said.
Lawson and Harrington each finished with 24 points.
The Lakers improved to 16-8 in Game 7s, 5-1 with Bryant and 1-0 with Brown, who was drawn into the Game 7 preamble when Magic Johnson said the Lakers needed to win Saturday to save Brown’s job.
The Lakers responded with a not-so-magical statement four hours before tip-off, pointing out that Johnson’s beliefs did not mirror those of the front office or ownership.
“We are fully committed to and supportive of Mike Brown as head coach of the Lakers,” the statement said.
Brown shrugged off Johnson’s words. So did the Lakers.
They’re on to Oklahoma City.
