The premiere of Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs for the title could not be more pleasant to start with a victory over the Denver Nuggets (103-88) based on the defense (ten caps Andrew Bynum) and the collective effort (six players in double figures in scoring).
Kobe Bryant was the scorers with 31 points, while Pau Gasol had 13 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and Bynum signed the first triple-double of his career with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. By Danilo Gallinari said Denver with 19 points.
Bynum The 10 caps are the franchise record in qualifying for the title, and even the historical record of the League, which also hold Hakeem Olajuwon and Mark Eaton.
The Lakers have a mark of 33 wins and one loss in playoffs for the disputed title to seven games when they win the first game. It is the sixth time that is measured to Denver in a playoff. The five previous times ended in victory angelina.
This was the first game of playoffs to the Lakers played in the Staples Center without Phil Jackson as coach.
Bynum, following strong performances in the regular season, was the man to watch by the Colorado defense, but surprisingly the starting center for the Lakers, well defended by Kosta Koufos, and JaVale McGee, spent the first quarter without scoring . Bryant himself too soon Carburizing and his first points came after seven minutes.
However, the tower gave California a great deal of intimidation in the angelina, becoming a real siege wall hard for George Karl, while Steve Blake left the bench to string together three straight triples and let the Lakers ahead (27 -14) at the end of the quarter.
The reaction of Denver, who had not scored from the outside or through counterattacks until then, became more personal with a triple from Corey Brewer and Al Harrington another (31-27), which later gave way to some good minutes of Danilo Gallinari, offset by the good work of Devin Ebanks, whose 12 points were decisive break in the local advantage (50-40).
The Lakers dominated with little effort and no need for the best version of its stars. Enough teamwork and contribution of the bench.
A triple of Gasol and Bynum plugs spurred his own midway through the third quarter (64-47), but the Lakers pulled the throttle only when Bryant, Sessions and the Spanish power forward took a greater role in attack (71-52) .
Gallinari was very lonely without the wisdom of other days of Ty Lawson and colleagues as McGee and Denver faced the last quarter with almost no options, a situation that took Gasol to get all his class, flirting with triple-double and offer a key strength Your computer may not happen in some trouble closing stages adorned by Bryant quite recovered from his injury.
