Nuggets see no reason to fear Lakers

[Warren2ThaG]

Nuggets see no reason to fear Lakers

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“Why should we be? [The championship] was last year,” Carmelo Anthony(notes) said. “They are the same to me. They are the Lakers, I guess.”

 

Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups(notes) says the Lakers might have actually digressed from last season.

 

“I don’t know if they’re better,” Billups said. “But they won it all. They don’t have to be better. Nobody was as good as them.

 

“That’s yet to be seen. I really, really thought Trevor Ariza(notes) was good for that team. I think they miss him.”

 

Adding to the Nuggets’ confidence was their 105-79 beat-down of the Lakers on Nov. 13 in Denver – a game, albeit, that Los Angeles played without the services of All-Star forward Pau Gasol(notes). The Lakers scored a mere eight points in the third quarter while Bryant was held scoreless in the second half. After the game, Bryant said the Nuggets “beat the hell out of us,” and mentioned that Gasol might not have made a difference.

 

While the loss was just a blip on the Lakers’ schedule, it was a major confidence boost for Denver.

 

“It mattered to us,” Karl said. “I don’t think it has a high difference to them as [Lakers coach] Phil [Jackson] would always tell you.”

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc-afterthebuzzer020510&prov=yhoo&type=lgns