On the night of May 12, 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets in a close game in which the score was tied 10 times. It was the 7th game of the series, a matchup of seeds #3 and #6. Days earlier, the Lakers, the #3 seed, had taken a commanding lead in the series, up 3-1. The fact that they were even playing a game 7 was a cautionary tale: the Lakers bench was thin, the team over-relied on Kobe Byrant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
Two months earlier, the Lakers traded Derek Fisher and acquired Ramon Sessions and Jordan Hill. This was not the same Lakers team that beat the Celtics in game 7 in 2010. Lamar Odom was gone. Sasha Vujacic was gone. Jordan Farmar was gone. Phil Jackson was gone.
They were a team coached by Mike Brown. They were not particularly special.
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Nov 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after missing a basket as heads down court in the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. Nuggets won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The 2011-12 season was abbreviated because of the lock-out; only 66 games were played. The Lakers finished first in the Pacific Division. They were 2nd in the NBA in rebounding. They were 7th in assists. They led the NBA in the fewest amount of personal fouls and the fewest trips to the free throw line for their opponents. Although they had a losing record on the road, the Lakers 26 home wins tied them for second best in the Western Conference.
The Lakers had the best record in the conference behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
In game one of the playoffs, Kobe Bryant had 31 points. Denver guards, Aaron Afflalo and Ty Lawson, missed 16 out of 22 shots and the Lakers outrebounded the Nuggets by 11. It was an easy double digit Lakers win that bespoke of a series that would be short.
However, in game two, the Nuggets, especially Ty Lawson, were more aggressive. His playoff jitters behind him, Lawson shot 64% on a 25 point effort with 7 assists. But, the Nuggets had no answer for Bryant who had 38 points on 51% shooting. Nor could they figure out Andrew Bynum who had 27 points and 9 rebounds.
Denver won the next game at home pretty easily and in game 4, in the fourth quarter, Pau Gasol gave the Lakers the lead with a silky two foot jump shot. The Lakers never trailed and took a commanding lead in the series, 3-1.
Enter Andrew Bynum being Andrew Bynum. HIs infamous close out games are easy quote haunted the Lakers with reverse karma in game 5. Bryant’s 43 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals weren’t enough to offset the dominance of often criticized big man, JaVale McGhee of Denver, who was unstoppable. McGhee had 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Andre Miller added more bench scoring, 24 points, a total that exceeded the entire Lakers bench combined. That bit of confidence led to the Nuggets winning game 6 in Denver. They blew the Lakers out, setting up a game 7 showdown.
It was and was not a déjà vu moment, game 7. The last game 7 the Lakers played was so recent, the dramatic and thrilling nature of slaying the Boston Celtics was easy to recall, as if it happened yesterday. But, the truth of it was the 2010 championship team was long gone. The game just felt different.
A close game for three quarters, it came down to- as most games do- fourth quarter execution. Nuggets forward, Al Harrington, gave the Nuggets a four point lead after hitting a three pointer. Immediately, Mike Brown called a timeout. The Nuggets went on a two minute scoring drought and Steve Blake and Metta World Peace capitalized by hitting three pointers. Harrington tied the game at 75-75, a tie broken by an Andrew Bynum free throw.
It was the Lakers turn to go on a scoring drought. Bryant missed a mid-ranger jumper. Bynum missed a shot at the rim. Gasol missed 5 consecutive shots at the basket, all in the same possession, before he got one to go in. It gave the Lakers a three point lead until Andre Miller scored and was fouled.
The score was tied again, 78-78.
It was the last tie of the game. The Nuggets inefficiency was responsible for the Lakers building a 7 point lead because of a Steve Blake three pointer and the offense being run through Gasol. With a minute left, Afflalo hit a three pointer to cut the lead to 5 but Bryant answered back with a three of his own and that ended the game and the series. The Lakers avoided the embarrassment of losing a series when they were up 3-1.
Oct 6, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill (right) laughs next to guard Kobe Bryant during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Valley View Casino Center. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Advancing to the second round and playing the #2 seed, Oklahoma City Thunder, the tired Lakers were overmatched and the series was over quite easily.
Bryant went to the Olympics in London and won a gold medal. The Lakers traded for Dwight Howard and said goodbye to Andrew Bynum. They made the playoffs in 2013, but without Kobe Bryant, and with Dwight Howard all but out the door, the Lakers had no chance at winning a game.
Memories are all that are left now. That and anger. It’s hard to contemplate how the Lakers went from winning a game 7 in 2012 to not being able to win 20 games in 2015. It’s all so unbelievable and pathetic and- yes- predictable, because of mismanagement, bad decisions, bad luck, injuries and lack of talent.
Against their will, the Denver Nuggets have become an answer to a trivia question that horrifies most Lakers fans. Who was the last team the Lakers beat in a playoff series?
It’s an answer that may be unchanged for a long, long time.
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