Lakers, Nuggets in Great Officiating Debate

So, what exactly does $50,000 buy these days?

"A Prius," said the green-minded Kobe Bryant, smiling.

One Denver player apparently thought it was enough to secure a playoff game. As in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Nuggets.

One quick thought: That's all?

Then again, the economy is hitting everyone hard these days.

Joking aside, one of the Nuggets, who did not want to be named, told Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla after their 103-94 loss in Game 5 to the Lakers: "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game. They got their money's worth."

On the eve of tonight's Game 6 in Denver, Bryant had no comment Thursday after practice on the conspiracy theory other than saying, "Is that a question? No, I didn't hear it."

Said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson: "It's unfortunate, but that's the way sometimes these series boil down to who's got home-court advantage and who thinks they're going to get the advantage from that end of the game.

"But we don't want to make any issue out of that. . . . It's not something we want to focus on or get them focused in that direction."

Said the Lakers' Derek Fisher: "Overall, I'm a conspiracy theorist . . . but nah."

Good, then no one had to go looking for a grassy knoll near Staples Center. The NBA had no comment on the Denver Post report when asked about it by The Times.

Funny how the Great Officiating Debate seized hold of an already entertaining showdown between two seemingly equally matched teams -- the Lakers hold a 3-2 advantage in the series -- and has fans of both teams riding a roller-coaster ride of emotion.

"It's not any different than any other time in postseason that I've been here," Fisher said. "It's just the way it is. I remember going into San Antonio over the years and every time we went to San Antonio, Shaq would get two fouls in the first two minutes. That was just a fact.

"When every call and everything is replayed 50 times and talked about 1,000 times, you're going to have those variations in the calls, the fouls. There are too many things that happen in a basketball game that even if you felt as though the game was officiated poorly or not in your favor, there are so many other things you can control."

Like an 11-0 Lakers run to open the fourth quarter in Game 5. Or the Nuggets' bumbling, fumbling and committing turnovers on four consecutive possessions.