Lakers

Some things that stand out about the Lakers' 103-94 win over Denver in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals:

- The Lakers shot .487 from the field and dished out 25 assists, compared to .386 and 17 for the Nuggets. Kobe Bryant took only 13 shots, finishing with 22 points. The Lakers were clearly moving the ball around. That kind of teamwork, that kind of ball-movement is the way the game is supposed to be played, and it's why the Lakers look like the favorite to win it all this year.

- Lamar Odom stepped up with 19 points and 14 rebounds. I've felt all along that Odom, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum are the keys for this team; they have to play for well for the Lakers to win. Or, at least, one or two of them needs to play well. Gasol chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Bynum didn't show up on the glass, getting only 2 rebounds, but picked up 9 points in about 18 minutes. Between the three of them, they got the job done.

- The Lakers clearly put forth the effort on defensive, with 5 blocked shots by Gasol and 4 by Odom. The problem here is that some of those blocks would have been fouls if the game had been played in Denver. No matter. It was in L.A., as would be game 7, if the series goes that far.

- Meanwhile, the Nuggets went 7-24 (.292) from three-point range. J.R. Smith's shooting was miserable: 3-13 from the field, 1-10 on 3-pointers, finished with 7 points. Nene Hilario could only come up with 4 points before fouling out.

- Carmelo Anthony was an erratic 9-23 from the field. He did connect on 12 of 13 free throws and finished with 31 points. But he collected only four rebounds and turned the ball over 5 times. He's got to play smarter.

- Chauncy Billups picked up 12 points on 4-7 shooting. He dished out 5 assists, and had 3 turnovers, which is a lot for him. "Mr. Big Shot" went 3 for 6 from beyond the arc, but only got to the line once, making his lone free throw. The Lakers can live with that kind of performance.

Denver is certainly capable of turning things around and winning game 6. But it seems that the Lakers are too smart and too focused to let this series get away. Kobe has quietly taken his game to another level; he's suppressed his formerly wild game and it's bringing out the best in his teammates. But everyone knows that he can turn it on at any time. The Nuggets need to put it together and come with a great performance to even have a chance at winning the series. I don't know if they have it in 'em.