Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers - 04/09/2009

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Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers - 04/09/2009

GAME: Denver Nuggets (53-26) at L.A. Lakers Lakers (62-16)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, April 09 - 10:30 PM EST
SPREAD: Los Angeles -8.5 TOTAL: 209.5
Source: Covers.com

As if running away with the Western Conference's No. 1 seed wasn't enough for the surging Los Angeles Lakers, they're now likely to add Andrew Bynum back into the mix.

After missing 32 games with a torn MCL in his right knee, Bynum may return Thursday night at Staples Center as the Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets, the hottest team in the NBA.

Los Angeles (62-16), which has won 21 of 23 at home against the Nuggets, also looks to move within a half-game of Cleveland for the NBA's best record. The Lakers, winners of five straight, own the tiebreaker over the Cavaliers and will secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs if they can catch the Central Division champions.

The possible return of Bynum - scoring a career-best 14.0 points with 8.2 rebounds - could provide a big boost.

"I'm ready to go. Just waiting on my release ... I think (Thursday) is possible," he told the Lakers' official Web site.

Now in his fourth season, the 21-year-old center was injured in the first quarter of a 115-98 win at Memphis on Jan. 31 when Kobe Bryant fell into his leg.

Two nights later, Bryant scored 61 points in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks and sent a message to the rest of the league that the Lakers weren't going to fold.

"I felt like I needed to focus even more," Bryant said after setting the Madison Square Garden single-game scoring record.

The reigning MVP is scoring 27.5 points per game as the Lakers have lost just seven times in Bynum's absence. Bryant also is averaging 30.3 points and 5.3 rebounds as Los Angeles has won two of three versus Denver this season.

The Nuggets, who can secure the No. 2 seed in the West with a win in this contest, have picked the right time to play their best basketball of the season. Denver needed to rally for Wednesday's 122-112 win over Oklahoma City, but coach George Karl didn't seem to mind as the Nuggets won their eighth in a row and 13th in 14 games.

"It's a win, baby!" he said.

A victory Thursday also would match the franchise record of 54 set in 1987-88. But with just two wins at Staples Center since the 1995-96 season, Denver understands it can't get too excited about its recent string of victories - its longest since April 1-13, 2007."If we want to achieve our ultimate goal, we're going to have to see that team somewhere and we're going to have to get through that team somehow," Chauncey Billups said of the Lakers.

Los Angeles defeated the Nuggets 104-90 on Nov. 21 in the teams' only meeting at Staples Center this season.

Carmelo Anthony, scoring 22.9 points per game, is averaging just 11.7 on 27.5 percent shooting versus Los Angeles in 2008-09. He had 31 points in Denver 's last win on the road in this series, 111-105 on April 3, 2007."(A win) would be huge, man, especially at this time of the year and for what we're trying to accomplish," Anthony said. "That would be a big win for us."

If Denver wins, it will secure home-court advantage in a playoff series for the first time since the 1988 Western Conference semifinals against Dallas .

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