The Credits: "Iron Man"

The Nuggets (33-16) are second in the West behind the Lakers (38-12), but they played the last six games without Carmelo Anthony (sprained left ankle) and might be without him Friday as well.

Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen, who is in charge of preparing game plans against them, had an interesting observation, Jackson said: “He thinks that Denver feels that they’re a better team than we are and they’ve got our number and they play like it and we’re going to have be prepared for them.”

maybe phil should assign someone other than hamblen, because denver seems to have our number…it is obvious in the way they play that they believe they are better than the lakers.

really? I know they beat us once this year, but we did beat them last year in 6. I’m not saying they’re bad or significantly worse, but I wouldn’t say they’ve got our number. Perhaps the proper phrasing would be ‘they get up for games against us,’ or something along those lines.

Yeah what, they’ve got our number?

How so?

Oh I know, actually, they do have our number. They come out to play every game against us with a pissed off attitude, with guts and physicality, and with the mind-set that wins vs. the Lakers in the regular season ARE important victories.

We come out and go “ho hum” and we might win and we might lose, but either way we’re the Lakers, and they’re the Nugs, and their uniform is ugly, and that tattoo on that guys neck of the “lips” is stupid, and blah blah blah.

I hope we come out with an attitude and bitch slap that team back over the Rockies.