Los Angeles Lakers Denver Nuggets Game 5 Predictions
Written May 26, 2009 by Jason Lowry
The Denver Nuggets made sure that the Los Angeles Lakers did not win back to back games on their home floor, as the Nuggets controlled the Lakers in a 120-101 game 4 win. The series is now tied up at 2 games a piece, but the series shifts back to LA where the Lakers will look to hold on to their home court advantage.
The Nuggets were the definition of balance in game 4, as 7 different players scored in double figures. Chauncey Billups had 24 points to lead all starters, but J.R. Smith came up huge off the bench to drop 24 points on the Lakers as well. Carmelo Anthony once again struggled with his shot going 3-17 from the floor, but was a lot better late in the game, as he finished up with 15 points. Nene and Kenyon Martin were dominant down low, as Nene had 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Martin chipped in 13 points with 15 rebounds. Even Dahntay Jones had 12 points for the Nuggets, a guy who rarely scores more than 5 points.
For the Lakers it was another strong outing from Kobe Bryant, as the former league MVP had 34 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Pau Gasol had 21 points and 10 rebounds, but no one else really had that good of a game. Andrew Bynum had 14 and Lamar Odom had 10 points, but no other player had more than 6 points. After playing very well in game 3, Trevor Ariza battled foul trouble in game 4, and finished the game with just 5 points on 1-3 shooting from the floor in 26 minutes. The Lakers also got little out of their starting point guard Derek Fisher, who scored just 5 points in game 4.
Game 5 is scheduled to get underway Wednesday night in LA, and even though this series is tied up, this game is huge for both teams, as the Nuggets have to win at least once in LA if they want to advance to the NBA Finals. Here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win this game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Nuggets need to do to win: Its all about energy and aggressiveness for this Nuggets team, and if they can find a way to bring that intensity on the road, they can win this game. Even though the Nuggets won game 4 without Anthony playing very well, I think its huge that he shows up in game 5 if the Nuggets are going to steal this game. Also, If Smith can come in and play at the level he did in game 4, the Nuggets are nearly unbeatable, but Smith has to learn to control himself, as he made a couple bonehead moves late in the game getting a technical and taking some bad shots. Look for the Nuggets to be right there in game 4, as I think it comes down to the 4th quarter once again. Bet the Nuggets +6 to win game 5 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Lakers need to do to win: Hopefully the rest of the team decides to show up in this game, as the Lakers can pretty much kiss the NBA Finals away if they lose this game. Bryant has to come up big in this series once again, but he has to get some more help from his supporting cast. Gasol has been good, but they need Ariza, Odom, and Fisher to make some more shots. In game 4 the Lakers bench got outscored 42-24, and they won’t win many more games if there is that big of a difference in bench scoring. The Lakers were killed on the boards in game 4, and they are going to have to be a lot more aggressive in that category in game 5. I expect the Lakers to play a lot better at home, as Bryant knows just how important this game is. Bet the Lakers -6 to win game 5 at Sportsbook.com.
My Prediction: Lakers -6 . I know how good the Nuggets looked in game 4, but even though the Lakers looked completely unmatched in that game, I still think they come out and win game 5. I also think they do it a little more convincingly than many people might expect. I look not only for Bryant to have a huge game, but I got a really good feeling a couple of the role players are going to have a big game on their home floor.
For those of you looking to do some NBA betting on the game, be sure to check out more expert NBA picks and grab the latest NBA odds for the big game at Betfirms.
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