Lakers are one win from advancing with 92-88 victory over Nuggets

The Lakers will be looking to close out their first-round series Tuesday night at Staples Center after taking a 3-1 lead Sunday night over the host Denver Nuggets. The unlikely big contributor in the 92-88 win was reserve big man Jordan Hill.

Hill, playing only 23 minutes, was the leading rebounder with 11. He scored 12 points, going four of nine from the field and four of six from the free-throw line.

But, of course, it was Kobe Bryant who stepped up with 22 points to lead the Lakers in scoring. He was 10 of 25 from the field. He made his first two three-point attempts but missed his next five.

Other leading Lakers scorers were Andrew Bynum with 19, Pau Gasol with 13 and Ramon Sessions with 12, including some clutch shots down the stretch.

PHOTOS: Lakers vs. Nuggets, Game 4

Sunday’s game was anything but the blowout on Friday night. Neither team was able to build a big lead and the play seemed a little sloppy. The Lakers were especially adept at the turnover, including a rare uncontested fumble out of bounds by Bryant.

The Lakers seemed to be in control for most of the fourth quarter but rarely had a lead of more than four points. The Nuggets tied the score with about 4 ½ minutes to play.

Bryant, however, was able to extend the Lakers lead to four with 3:14 to play. Danilo Gallinari, playing with five fouls, hit two free throws and cut the margin to two. But with 1:43 to play, and the shot clock down to one second, Bynum was fouled. He missed both free throws, giving the Nuggets hope.

After each team missed a shot, the Nuggets tied the score on a shot by Gallinari. Then came a big shot with 48.1 seconds to play by Sessions from the corner and a three-point lead. The Nuggets thought they had closed to within one on an Al Harrington basket but Andre Miller was correctly called for offensive goaltending.

The game was essentially closed out with a three-pointer by Steve Blake with 18.9 seconds to play to give the Lakers a six-point lead.

Dallinari led the Nuggets with 20 points while Miller added 15.

The Nuggets have never beaten the Lakers twice in a row in the playoffs, meaning things are looking up for the Lakers to advance to the next round.

Nuggets 71, Lakers 70 (end third quarter)

The third quarter opened a little ragged with each team missing some makeable shots.

The Lakers closed it the deficit to three after two Kobe Bryant baskets and one by Andrew Bynum, partially muted by a Ty Lawson three. The margin got to one on a pair of Bynum free throws.

After some more sloppy play the Lakers retook the lead, 57-56, with 7:11 left in the quarter on a Pau Gasol jumper. It completed a 10-3 run by the Lakers.

But Danilo Gallinari gave the Nuggets the lead with less than six minutes to play in the quarter, 58-57. Bryant gave the Lakers the lead back with an easy basket from the free-throw line. After both teams committed fouls and turnovers, the Lakers upped their lead to three on a Bynum slam.

Things went back to even when Corey Brewer made a three-pointer. The Lakers continued to struggle with clock management on their next possession, having to force a shot at the buzzer.

The Nuggets regained the lead with 3:11 left in the quarter on a basket by former UCLA star Arron Afflalo, 63-61.

Still, this game seemed headed down to the wire as Steve Blake buried a bucket to tie the score. After Andre Miller missed a shot under pressure, Jordan Hill worked drew a foul on a driving shot. He made one of two free throws.

After an exchange of baskets. JaVale McGee gave the Nuggets the lead. After Bryant missed a three-point shot, Hill was called for a foul. On the possession, Brewer hit again and the Nuggets were back up by three.

Hill, back at the foul line, converted two shots and the Lakers were down by one with about half a minute left in the quarter. Miller scored a quick basket and Hill’s basket with three seconds to left cut the Lakers’ deficit to one point.

Bryant (20 points) and Bynum (17) were the leading scorers for the Lakers while Gallinari (16) and Miller (13) were leading the Nuggets.

Nuggets 51, Lakers 45 (halftime)

The second quarter started with the same back and forth although the Lakers sometimes found themselves in a track meet with the Nuggets, which was not in their best interest.

With 9:27 to play in the quarter the Lakers took the lead, 33-32, on a three-point play by Pau Gasol and followed that with a Matt Barnes dunk to give them a three-point cushion. But Al Harrington cut Denver’s deficit to one, 35-34.

After a couple of missed opportunities by each team, JaVale McGee hit both of his free throws and the Nuggets were back in front, 36-35. But Andrew Bynum’s put-back of a Kobe Bryant miss gave returned the lead to the Lakers. And Bryant extended it to three with a hard bank shot.

A Corey Brewer basket cut the Lakers’ lead to one and then Andre Miller made one of two free throws. The freebies came after a Barnes foul on a breakaway, so the Nuggets were also given the ball.

The Nuggets scored two more baskets to complete a 7-0 run before Bryant made his second three-pointer (in two tries) to bring the Lakers back to within one. But McGee’s bucket upped the Nuggets’ lead to three.

Three became five when Danilo Gallinari hit from outside. That’s when the game started to get away from the Lakers, who eventually trailed by seven.

As the quarter wound down, Ramon Sessions made one of two free throws to cut it to six. Clearly the Lakers need to ramp things up to avoid a 2-2 series tie.

At halftime, the Lakers’ leading scorer was Bynum with 12. Bryant had 11. The Lakers shot 20 of 45 (44%) from the field.

Gallinari led the Nuggets with 12 points while Andre Miller has 11. The Nuggets shot 24 of 47 (51%) from the field in the first half.

Nuggets 28, Lakers 26 (end of first quarter)

It was a far cry from Friday night when the Nuggets put together a 28-2 run, but the opening quarter was fairly evenly played. Each team had the requisite number of missed shots, turnovers and successes.

The Nuggets made the initial push, building an 8-3 lead with a 6-0 run on baskets by Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and Ty Lawson.

But the Lakers scrapped back with baskets by Ramon Sessions and Andrew Bynum. The teams traded baskets before Kobe Bryant tied the score, 14-14, with 5:25 to play. The Lakers took their first lead of the game with 4:20 left in the quarter when Bryant missed a free throw while attempting to finish a three-point play but they got the rebound and Bryant made the jumper for an 18-16 lead.

Andre Miller and Bynum exchanged baskets and Miller tied it once again, 20-20, with about three minutes to play. The Lakers mismanaged the shot clock and Bryant had to take a desperation shot. The Nuggets rebounded and Miller gave the Nuggets back the lead, 22-20.

Jordan Hill tied the score but Miller gave the Nuggets back-to-back baskets to up his total to 10 points. Bynum and Gallinari traded baskets before Matt Barnes’ shot was called good because of goaltending and the Lakers had closed their deficit to two points.

Bynum led the Lakers with nine points, followed by Bryant’s seven. The Lakers made 12 of 25 shots (48%). The Nuggets were 14 for 26 (54%).

The game was shaping up to be very competitive.

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