Kobe Bryant scores 22 and makes the game turning pass as Los Angeles Lakers take a 3-1 lead to the Staples centre
With 40 seconds on the clock, Kobe Bryant dished out a wide open pass to Steve Blake, who hit a huge three to enable the Los Angeles Lakers chalk out a 92-88 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 on Sunday night here at the Pepsi Center.
This win helps them take a commanding 3-1 lead in this Western Conference first round series. Lakers have now got themselves into a good situation and only required to go back home and close out the series.
Even though Bryant`s most significant contribution in the game came on a pass to Blake, however, he also led the Lakers in scoring 22 points on a 10-of-25 shooting night.
Andrew Bynum followed him with 19 points to go along with 7 boards. Pau Gasol added 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists while Ramon Sessions posted 12 points including a crucial triple down the stretch.
Jordan Hill led the bench scoring with 12 points on a 4-of-9 shooting night and 11 boards while Blake signed off on the night with 10 points.
For the Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari led the charge with 20 points and Ty Lawson followed him with 11 points and 6 dimes. None of the other starters managed to get more then 6 points individually. Andre Miller provided much resistance, coming off the bench to score 15 points on a 7-of-13 shooting display.
The Nuggets took a 8-3 lead early, but the Lakers responded and by the 5:26 mark, the scores were level at 14. The action remained end to end throughout with the Nuggets holding a 28-26 lead to end the period.
The scores remained close throughout the second period as well and there was no separating the two teams till the 4:58 mark with the scores being tied at 39. In the next minute, Nuggets opened a 4 point lead but Bryant responded with a three to cut it down to 1. The Broncos were able to score 6 quick unanswered points to finally put some kind of daylight and were able to hold that lead and at the half way stage, 51-45.
Lakers started the third quarter on a 12-5 spurt to take a 57-56 lead. In the next several minutes the lead changed hands twice and by the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets were leading 71-70.
The opening 11 minutes of the final quarter saw a similar script being played out with no side being able to go on that ‘one’ significant burst of scoring. With 1:06 left on the clock, the scores were tied up at 86. From that point on Lakers managed to knock down two key treys, one each from Sessions and Blake to open up a 6 point lead.
Nuggets were able to only get two more points in the ball game, courtesy of a Lawson layup allowing the Lakers to hold on to this one by margin of 4 points.
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