Lakers 116, Nuggets 99, Kobe 17 Points, 11 Assists, 7 Shots
"A good win for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.
The Lakers are down to about seven useful players, eight if you count Javaris Crittenton or Sasha Vujacic (and I don't), so any win is a good win, in those circumstances.
They mixed and matched what they have left well enough tonight to subdue the Nuggets, leaders of the Northwest Division, coming into the game.
Kobe Bryant's willingness to accept that the Nuggets were committed to keeping him from scoring was key. They swarmed him whenever he touched the ball and he responded the way a heady veteran should -- by passing it off to wide-open teammates such as Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar, who between them made nine three-pointers.
Kobe didn't score until 8:40 was left in the half (on a pair of free throws), and didn't have a field-goal attempt until the 7:58 mark, when he made a 15-footer. He took only seven shots in 38-plus minutes, and that has to be some sort of record of Kobe self-discipline.
The Nuggets were hurt by the loss of Carmelo Anthony, who rolled his left ankle in the second quarter when he came down on Bryant's foot. He didn't return.
It seems like the Nuggets ought to be better than they are. They have Anthony, when he's healthy, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin ... it seems like they should be formidable. But they're not, quite.
The Lakers moved ahead in the first quarter on a hale of threes, and after the Nuggets struggled back to take a 79-77 lead, the Lakers went on a 14-2 tear fueled by another spate of threes, three by Fisher and one by Farmar, and after that they nursed the lead home.
Kobe finished with 17 points and a season-high 11 assists. Farmer outscored Kobe, 19-17, and that may not happen again soon.
The Lakers are 27-12, one game ahead of where they were a year ago ... which was when the injuries mounted and the wheels came off their wagon and they struggled into the playoffs -- and got handled by Phoenix.
They go out now to play at San Antonio and Dallas. A split would be nice. But maybe not realistic, without Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza and Vlad Radmanovic. Considering San Antonio is 19-4 at home and Dallas is 18-3.