LOS ANGELES — Brilliant free-throw shooting down the stretch propelled the Nuggets past the Los Angeles Lakers 106-103 to even up their Western Conference finals on Thursday night at 1-1.
The Nuggets made their 18 of their last 19 free throws attempts, a stark contrast from Game 1, when they struggled from the line.
Chauncey Billups made 1-of-2 free throws with 4.3 seconds left for the 106-103 lead. L.A.’s Derek Fisher missed badly on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer from the right corner.
Billups’ free throws with 13.7 seconds left put Denver up 105-101. Trevor Ariza slipped after getting the ball tipped to him by Pau Gasol on a jump ball.
“We’re mentally tough, we showed that,” the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony said afterward.
Anthony had another epic duel with Kobe Bryant and won this one, with 34 points and nine rebounds. Bryant had 32 points and five rebounds.
Game 3 is in Denver on Saturday night, and the Nuggets, undefeated at home in the playoffs, now own home-court advantage.
Kenyon Martin’s layup with 32 seconds left gave Denver a 103-101 lead. Bryant’s pull-up jumper with 50 seconds left had tied the game, 101-101.
Billups’ free throws gave Denver a 101-99 lead with 1:44 left after Bryant’s 3-pointer with 1:58 tied the game 99-99.
Anthony put on another incredible show, featuring dagger jumpers and brawny play in the low post.
Anthony and Linas Kleiza had sensational second quarters to keep the Nuggets close after the Lakers appeared close to blowing the game open. Kleiza, a nonfactor earlier in the playoffs, came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers in the first half, after which the Nuggets trailed just 55-54.
Things didn’t look so good early when the Nuggets looked sluggish and fell behind by 14 points. Dahntay Jones, defending Bryant, got four fouls in his first five minutes.
The Lakers led by double digits most of the first half until the Nuggets put on late surge in the second period.
The Nuggets’ defense appeared slow and soft early as the L.A. big men dominated in the paint.
But the Nuggets made a furious comeback, led by Kleiza, Melo and some smooth operating from Billups, who ended the first half with a savvy play straight out of his days at George Washington High School — bouncing the ball off Bryant’s back while inbounding on the baseline, then grabbing the ball and hitting a buzzer-beating layup to bring the Nuggets within one point.
