LOS ANGELES -- The Denver Nuggets survived the Los Angeles Lakers down the wacky stretch Thursday night at Staples Center.This isn't good, by the way.
These athletically gifted and suddenly relentless Rocky Mountain folks are standing in the way of everybody's dream -- the one featuring Kobe versus LeBron during the Mother of All NBA Finals. Just like their heartless counterparts from Orlando, the Nuggets couldn't care less.
No wonder, Kenyon Martin flashed crazy eyes in the visitors' locker room after his Nuggets knotted the Western Conference finals at 1-1 with a 106-103 victory. Somebody had the audacity to mention that Kobe-LeBron thing. Moments later, Martin added clenched teeth to those crazy eyes, because somebody else arrived to mention that Kobe-LeBron thing again: "That's all y'all talk about. [Kobe's Lakers] got a fight on their hands over here, man. [LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers] got a fight on their hands as well. It's just not going to be us and Orlando going to lie down, so [the Lakers and the Cavaliers] can go play in two weeks.
"That ain't gonna happen. I'll make sure it don't. You can go home and play NBA Live or something like that if y'all want to see that match."
Sorry, Mr. Martin, sir (and don't hurt me or anybody else, please, for saying the following). But the rest of us really do want to see Kobe versus LeBron. We haven't been blessed with such a pairing of all-galaxy opponents during an NBA Finals since Michael versus Magic in 1991. So the rest of us know that anything less than Kobe versus LeBron at the end of this postseason is unacceptable. Not only that, the rest of us know that Orlando's Dwight Howard and the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony are wonderful talents and everything, but that's not the point.
Howard and Anthony aren't those other guys.
The Magic and the Nuggets aren't those other teams.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Trevor Ariza #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball against Nene #31 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Trevor Ariza;Nene
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Derek FIsher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball over Chris Andersen #11 and Nene #31 of the Denver Nuggets in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Fisher;Nene;Chris Andersen
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Nene #31 of the Denver Nuggets goes up for a shot over Pau Gasol #16 and Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nene:Pau Gasol;Kobe Bryant
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets goes up for a shot over Lamar Odom #7 and Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carmelo Anthony;Lamar Odom;Derek Fisher
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 and Linas Kleiza #43 of the Denver Nuggets gogo up for the ball with Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carmelo Anthony;Linas Kleiza;Derek Fisher
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets goes up for a shot over Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carmelo Anthony
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Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant jumps for a rebound against the Denver Nuggets during Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)
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Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson (R) talks to Kobe Bryant during Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)
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Denver Nuggets Carmelo Anthony goes up to shoot against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after Lakers lost possession of the ball to the Denver Nuggets with 13 seconds left in Game 2 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)
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As result, you just know that during the rest of the Western Conference finals, the Nuggets wish to use this Kobe-LeBron thing as motivation to torture the rest of us. That's why there was that near-miss for the rest of us on Tuesday night in the opener. Anthony helped the Nuggets dominate throughout the evening, but for the sake of the rest of us, the Lakers had too much Kobe at the end.
Then came Thursday night, when Nuggets coach George Karl showed what a difference 48 hours (and a few beers) can make. He was so depressed after suffering through that near-miss in Game 1 that he barely could speak. In contrast, he was so geeked before this one that he made you a little nervous. He spent the start of his pregame news conference banging his fists on the podium -- for whatever reason. He also grinned as if he knew something that nobody else did. So maybe it really was that libation from the night before. "Yeah, I had about two or three beers, compared to the 10, 12 or 13 that I would have had in my younger days," said Karl, 58, laughing, suddenly having the time of his life with his fifth team in 21 seasons of NBA coaching.
"This is exciting. This is cool," Karl added, but he obviously wasn't glancing into the future and viewing the middle of the second quarter. That's when a listless Anthony contributed to the Nuggets trailing by 14 points. They surged, though, because they eventually had a lethal Anthony. They used a lot of his shooting along the way and a game-high 34 points to shrink big leads for the Lakers to tiny ones.
Finally, before the screaming house of purple, gold and Jack Nicholson knew it, the Nuggets had a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter with hopes of blowing away the Western version of the people's choice.
Courtesy of Kobe, the Lakers made things interesting in the final seconds, but the Nuggets wouldn't give the rest of us a break. They wouldn't fold. They wouldn't do their part to bring us closer to Kobe versus LeBron.
Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-22-2009 @ 5:27AM
obamaizadope said...
When Chauncey and Carmello are on together, fuggettaboutit. The Lakers had a chance to put their foot on the gas in the first half, and the league told them not to, this series must go 7..
Reply
5-22-2009 @ 5:40AM
hilryshaves said...
living on the east coast, we don't see much of Melo, but damn the boy can ball..His shot never touches the rim, it's bottom of the net all night..
Reply
5-22-2009 @ 6:57AM
al said...
i could give a damn less about kobe vs lebron. the best teams will end up in the finals. and melo playing like a superstar that belong in their league right now. haha @ hilryshaves. yea im from east coast bu i knew melo could flat out ball. hes downright pure at scoring. frickin assassin.
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5-22-2009 @ 7:01AM
drummininthebridge said...
Idk bout the rest of you guys, but I dont care if it's Kobe/LeBron, Kobe/Dwight, Dwight/Melo, or even LeBron/Melo. Actually LeBron/Melo might be a nice matchup, because in their rookie year a lot of people thought Melo got snubbed just because LeBron James is, well, LeBron James. Melos revege. Either way yeah, I just want to see good basketball, which I've seen most of the postseason minus Cavs/Lakers first round and the Cavs in their 2nd round demolition of the Hawks. But yeah, I don't even want to see LA in the finals. If Lakers/Cavs was meant to happen, then both teams will end up winning. But if they dont play up to expectations (such as, idk, the Lakers and the Rockets?) then they don't deserve to be in. Forget about the superstar names and forget about the finals until they come.
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5-22-2009 @ 2:16PM
Rich Cantwell said...
Mr. Moore, where do you get this "everybody wants Lebron v. Kobe" stuff. I seriously doubt that statement. Maybe the so called "casual fan" who knows nothing about hoops is on this bandwagon. I, for one, would love the NBA/Stern to get theirs by having Nuggets v. Magic spoil their plans.
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5-22-2009 @ 9:23AM
bobatindy said...
I, like mr Moore, would love to see Kobe in the NBA Finals- sitting on the sidelines watching Denver/Cavs-Magic play. But then he probably wouldn't be interestred in watching. I am old enough to remember the Celtic/Laker dynasty that almost killed the NBA. For years, the rest of the league was fodder for them - Practice teams to get ready for the Celtic/Laker Finala. Let's not return to that
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5-22-2009 @ 9:41AM
Elliott said...
Seriously? Who is everyone? The media because it will make your job easier to spit out a million kobe v. lebron stories? Real fans of basketball want the two teams that earned it. The Nuggets want it, and are utterly enjoyable to watch for anyone who likes basketball. Get real.
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5-22-2009 @ 10:18AM
cabinetec said...
Im a huge Laker fan yes. But I think its alot of fun to watch the East and West finals with these teams SO closely matched. Thats what this game is all about, GREAT competition. I hope the Lakers make it to the NBA finals but if they dont my hats off too Denver.This is going to be a heavy weight fight. As far as the eastern battle, you have to respect those young Orlando guys not paying any attn to the media hype that the Cavs are destined to win. True basketball fans are going to enjoy the next few weeks like we havent seen in along time. LETS GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLE
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5-22-2009 @ 10:32AM
Giles said...
Anthony vs. James would be a straight, direct, one on one match up. James vs. Bryant wouldn`t be. Anthony and James are too big, heavy, strong, for Byrant to match up against directly, in the middle distnce, and Bryant is too skilled for either of them to match up against on the perimeter. But there would also be the Billups vs. West match up, too. But it is certainly possible the Championship round could end up feauring Howard vs. Hillario and Martin vs. Lewis (old Hollywood types remember a different version of that!) and TurkoGlu vs. Anthony. May the best TEAMS win, that`s what the nba is all about.
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5-22-2009 @ 10:35AM
soulcitysigma1914 said...
speak for yourself Moore. Some of us are just plain tired of Kobe and all he represents. I think Nas said it best:
"From OJ to Kobe, uh let's call him Toby
First he played his life cool just like Michael
Now he rock ice too just like I do
Yo, you can't do better than that?
The hotel clerk who adjusts the bathroom mat?
Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back
Yeah, you beat the rap jiggaboo, fake n**** you
You turn around then you s*** on Shaq
Who woulda knew, Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes
He love a little butt crack, got enough cash
Little kids with they bus pass who look up to you
To do something for the youth, stupid spoof"
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5-22-2009 @ 10:35AM
Travis said...
The media and the David Stern would love to see Lebron vs Kobe. Look at all the commercials they have been showing lately. The puppet commercials from nike(those are funny), the vitamen water commercials. Those are to marketable athlethics and since the nba has been losing money they will do anything to get that money back. So dont be surprise at the next couple of games to see how the refs call the games.
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5-22-2009 @ 11:02AM
darwin2b said...
I would like to know who the rest of us are I sure as heck don't want to see kobaby and labron in the finals Labron maybe but the laketts no way I'm not even close to being a nuggets fan but they have to win so that we all get to see kobaby cry again and blame the world for being against him. Maybe just maybe he can get phil to join him in colorado to rape another girl and then buy their way out of it. America's team my foot the last team to be called that was nothing but a bunch of jail birds (cowboys) so let LA take the rest of the year watching replays of the Nuggets playing Cleveland for the title. who needs Kobaby anyway Trade the baby to the clippers then maybe he can be the only player to score every point. Nuggets in the finals go go go
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5-22-2009 @ 11:04AM
niqs13 said...
That's what im talking about!! Nuggets baaabay!!!!!
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5-22-2009 @ 11:15AM
Ski said...
If the NUGGETS don't beat ya, the ALTITUDE will!!! LOL!!!
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5-22-2009 @ 11:34AM
bob hughes said...
hooray for thin air. get kobe and odem breathing hard
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5-22-2009 @ 12:46PM
Janice said...
Thanks Melo for proving that Kobe is not God!!!!
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5-23-2009 @ 9:32AM
party said...
looking for space to arrange a
Party a?
Reply
5-23-2009 @ 7:48PM
the cooker said...
Maybe you want that match up but not everybody does. I for one am not a fan of any of these teams but would rather watch Orlando and Denver play. I am so tired of watching steroid LeBron change his pivot foot 4-5 times before he takes a shot and nothing happens. At the end of the last game, if they had not had a Cleveland timekeeper delaying the clock no way he gets the shot off. Pushed off, backed off and shot with 1 second, no way.
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