Nuggets have had major problems against L.A.
JERRY CROWE
Text messages from press row . . .
Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers' opening-round playoff opponents, hold the distinction of being the only team in NBA history to lose a playoff series against a team owned by Donald Sterling. . . .
Including their five-game flameout against Elton Brand and the Clippers in 2006 and three earlier series against the Lakers, the Nuggets are 2-8 in playoff games played in Los Angeles and 0-4 in playoff series against L.A. teams. . . .
The last time the Nuggets played the Lakers in the playoffs, 21 years ago, Alex English was their star and Allen Iverson was 11 years old. . . .
Legal drinking age for Anthony was more than 18 years off. . . .
Longtime Lakers fans will recall that Chick Hearn occasionally referred to the Nuggets as the Nougats, especially when they first joined the NBA. . . .
Perhaps the late Lakers announcer was a Snickers fan. . . .
Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics is listed at 3-1 to be the NBA Finals MVP, according to BodogLife.com, with Kobe Bryant at 4-1, Pau Gasol at 35-1, Lamar Odom at 60-1 and three-time Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal at 50-1. . . .
Bodog lists the over-under on Bryant's first-round scoring average at 28.5 points and lists the Lakers at 4-1 to sweep and 2-1 to win in five games. . . .
For almost any other NBA team, a 23-59 record would qualify as an unmitigated disaster, but for the Buffalo Braves/San Diego-L.A. Clippers it doesn't even qualify as one of the 10 worst seasons in franchise history. . . .
Baron Davis and his no-punches-pulled Golden State Warriors coach, DonNelson, probably won't be body surfing together this summer. . . .
That's quite a rebuilding project facing Ben Howland. . . .
Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo, we hardly knew ye. . . .
If the cost for a family of four to attend games at Dodger Stadium already is $89 more than the cost for a family of four to attend games at Angel Stadium, as Team Marketing Report notes, imagine what the discrepancy might be if Frank McCourt's team ended a 20-year drought and actually won a playoff series. . . .
Enough already with Pacman Jones and Ocho Cinco. . . .
