MINNEAPOLIS — On Thursday at the Target Center, it became unofficially official that Denver would play the Lakers in the second quarter, when Minnesota’s Martell Webster told a ref, “Hey man, we’re trying to get out of here, just like you.”
The Nuggets beat the beach-ready Timberwolves 131-102, securing the sixth spot in the Western Conference — and a playoff date with the No. 3 Lakers, starting Sunday in L.A. at 1:30 p.m.
Denver outscored the home team 32-17 in the second quarter, breezing to its sixth win in seven games.
The crazy, lockout-shortened season is in the books. The Nuggets finished with a 38-28 record. Now, all eyes are on the Lakers, a team Denver beat just once in four tries this season.
“I don’t think a lot of people picked us much higher than sixth. Some people didn’t pick us to make the playoffs, from what I remember,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “I feel we’ve established ourselves as a team that, if we play to our A-game, we can beat people. Now we just have to go out and prove it.”
It will make for a fascinating matchup, to be sure. The Nuggets run, run and run. The Lakers methodically set up their offense, pounding it in the post, piercing defenses with dagger jumpers. The Nuggets will face L.A. for the third time in five postseasons.
“They’re the biggest team in basketball, and they’re the most powerful team in basketball,” Karl said. “How we confront their big people will be by committee. We have to play physical and not be afraid to foul if we have to foul. When we play L.A., it’s pace against power, speed against size. The more stops we get in the game, the more we can create our aggressive offense with our defense. The more they play 5-on-5 is probably more beneficial to them.”
Kobe Bryant, of course, is the thumping heart of the purple and gold. He sat out Thursday’s game at Sacramento, resting his body and sending a message to his team that individual goals, namely the scoring title, aren’t important as team goals. Bryant needed 38 points to win the scoring title, which instead was nabbed for the third straight season by the Thunder’s Kevin Durant.
Bryant, now 33, finished the season at 27.9 points per game. He will spend much of the next week with Arron Afflalo inside his No. 24 jersey. Denver’s Afflalo, an L.A. native, cherishes the assignment of defending Bryant. And while Kobe has had his share of good outings against Denver over the years, the Nuggets have defended him well this season. In the first game, Bryant shot 6-for-18, followed by a 6-for-28 outing and finally 7-for-23, though to be fair, that night he also had nine assists and six rebounds in a Lakers win at Pepsi Center.
In fact, Bryant averaged 17.7 points per game against Denver this season, his lowest average against any Western Conference team.
“I try to do my best individually, contest his shots, stay in front of him, but it’s going to be a team effort,” Afflalo said. “You rely on help.”
Denver’s Danilo Gallinari, one of the squad’s most potent scorers, has had some memorable — and forgettable — games against the Lakers. In the first meeting, he shot 3-for-12, including an airball and a missed layup in the final minute of a close game. He put up 20 the next night, but in the final two outings, Gallinari shot 1-for-9 and 2-for-9.
Here’s the thing. Often L.A. would put Metta World Peace on Gallo. Well, Peace is out. The forward is suspended for his next six games after his elbow to the head of the Thunder’s James Harden. Of course, this means if the series goes seven games, he’ll be back for Game 7.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
