DENVER, Colorado: Kobe Bryant had 22 points as the Los Angeles Lakers moved one game away from ousting the Denver Nuggets with a 102-84 win in Game 3 of its opening round series on Saturday.
Luke Walton added 15 points off the bench for the Lakers, who cruised to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup without much resistance from the Nuggets.
One game after posting 49 points and 10 assists, Bryant did not need to exert much energy against listless Denver, which was outscored, 30-18, in the third quarter and did not put up much of a fight thereafter.
"The third quarter was exceptional for us defensively," Bryant said. "We forced them into areas where they weren't as comfortable.
"It shows a lot of maturity on our part to understand the game plan and what we're willing to give up."
Allen Iverson scored 15 points and Carmelo Anthony added 14 and 10 for the Nuggets, who will have to make history to win this series. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history.
Denver's dynamic duo struggled to give the Nuggets the boost they needed.
The two all-stars, who averaged 52 points during the regular season, combined for just 31 points on 10-of-38 shooting.
"I'm frustrated," Iverson said. "I've been in a lot of playoff series but I don't think I've ever been this frustrated. They were getting things they wanted offensively and stopping us on defense."
Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, "Our defense packed it on them but I thought they missed some easy shots over the course of the game."
In the other Western Conference game on Saturday, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur controlled the paint as the Utah Jazz seized a commanding three games to one lead over the Houston Rockets with a 86-82 win in game four.
With a win in Game 5 at Houston on Tuesday, Utah will advance to its second consecutive conference semifinal.
Tracy McGrady finished two assists shy of a triple-double for the Rockets, who were missing Yao Ming and shot just 36 percent (29-of-79) from the field.
In Toronto, Jameer Nelson scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Orlando Magic to a 106-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
The Magic overcame Chris Bosh's playoff career high of 39 points to grab a commanding, 3-1, lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
In the other East playoff game on Saturday, Josh Smith collected 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 102-93 in game three of their series.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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