Lakers will face Denver Nuggets in first round
LAKERS
Mavericks' victory over Hornets clinches No. 7 seeding in the Western Conference.
The top-seeded Lakers will start their quest for an NBA championship this weekend with a first-round playoff pairing against the Denver Nuggets.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Hornets, 111-98, on Wednesday to clinch the Western Conference seventh spot. The Nuggets fell to the eighth seed and are currently playing their regular-season finale by hosting the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers (57-25) swept the three-game regular season series against Denver (49-32), winning by an average of 16.3 points. The Lakers had finished their series against Denver before they acquired center Pau Gasol in a mid-season trade.
Denver is second in the NBA in points scored with 110.5 a game, but also is second to last in points allowed at 106.9.
The Lakers-Nuggets series will start Saturday or Sunday at Staples Center.
jonathan.abrams@latimes.com
