Andrew Bynum adds more depth to an already deep Pacers squad.

When Andrew Bynum signed with the Indiana Pacers, a lot of people were surprised. Why would a team as good as the Pacers take a chance on a headcase and malcontent like Bynum?

Well, Saturday night was a perfect reason why. Bynum scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench for the Pacers as he helped In Indiana beat the Detroit Pistons, 112-104. Sure, he wasn’t all that efficient, making just six of 18 field goal attempts but he also hadn’t played in a while until just recently. He scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Tuesday in a 94-83 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers are now probably one of the deepest teams in the NBA with Bynum, Evan Turner and Luis Scola coming off the bench. All three players are capable starters on a lot of teams in the league.

Bynum gives them a legit low-post scorer with starting center Roy Hibbert being more of a rebounder and defender, not a great offensive option. Bynum has a history of being inconsistent and tough to stay focused but he’s on a veteran minimum contract and if he makes any waves, he can be released. The upside is he gives the Pacers another big man to throw at the team they will likely meet in the Eastern Conference finals — the Miami Heat.

Turner gives them a sixth man-type who can play shooting guard, small forward and in certain cases even point guard with his ball-handling skills. Turner gives them insurance in case Lance Stephenson bolts as a free agent and gives them an X factor in the postseason as well. Turner can create some nice mismatches in the playoffs.

Scola gives them a veteran power forward that can keep David West rested and healthy. Not to mention, Scola’s playoff experience will also be a welcome addition.

Noticing a pattern? It’s all about the postseason and if there was ever a year the Heat are vulnerable? This is it.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Andrew Bynum played in just 24 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Andrew Bynum was once considered one of the top centers in the league, and there were even arguments made that he was better than Dwight Howard.

That was just two years ago. Now, Bynum is out of shape and out of work.

The 26-year-old former Western Conference All-Star was traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers after just 24 games to the Chicago Bulls, who then waived the big fella to avoid paying him guaranteed money this season. So far, nobody is jumping in line to grab him off the waiver wire.

“I wouldn’t pick him up this year,” TNT’s David Aldridge said on NBA TV. “I would bring him in and say ‘we have an interest in you, but we’re not gonna try to work you in the next two months.’ [Teams] have to look him in the eye and ask him if he really wants to play basketball. That’s really the only question that matters here.”

The Cavs couldn’t wait to run Bynum out of town, and it wasn’t because he had the knees of a senior citizen. The main issue centered around Bynum’s petulant behavior. The team suspended him one game on Dec. 28 for conduct detrimental to the team and then excused him from all team activities after some disruptive behavior at practice.

Immaturity has been Bynum’s problem ever since he entered the league at 17 — the youngest ever to suit up in an NBA game. The Lakers coddled him during his first couple of seasons, even hiring the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to teach him the finer points of the center position. The two worked closely for four years until Bynum decided Kareem’s services will no longer be needed.

After the Cavs traded Bynum, Abdul-Jabbar said he could understand why the Cavs would be hesitant to trust Bynum.

Abdul-Jabbar wrote on his Facebook page:

I believe Andrew has always had the potential to help a team when he puts his heart into it. He just doesn’t seem to be consistent with his commitment to the game. That can lead to a lot of frustration for any team that has signed him.

When I worked with Andrew I found him to be bright & hardworking but I think he got bored with the repetitive nature of working on basketball fundamentals day in and day out… but they are the keys to long term success.

In my opinion Andrew is the type of person who walks to the beat of “a different drummer”. So we won’t know the facts until Andrew decides to tell us what actually is the issue and shares his thoughts.

Two years ago, Bynum could get away with cutting corners because he was relatively healthy. But when his knees began to deteriorate, so did his interest in the game. Bynum is not willing to put in the extra work to be great.

The Philadelphia 76ers mortgaged their future in Bynum and are now paying for it dearly. He even cost Doug Collins his job. The Sixers basically gave up All-Star Andre Iguodala because they thought Bynum would be their centerpiece. Unfortunately, Bynum’s knees became a major problem and he never played a single game for Philly.

The Cavs gave Bynum a second chance during the offseason, but they were smart enough to give themselves an out clause.

Eventually, some team will take a shot at Bynum despite all the baggage he brings. He’s a 290-plus pound 7-footer with natural back-to-the-basket skills, and most teams would die to have a center like him.

It it worth the gamble? That’s the question teams have to ponder.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Andrew Bynum is in the final year of a $16-million contract. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Andrew Bynum, the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s present and future, will be out indefinitely due to continued problems with his knees, the Philadelphia 76ers said on Saturday.

The 25-year-old has bone bruises in both knees and a “weakened cartilage state”, according to doctors and is yet to play for Philadelphia after being part of a four team, 12-player trade that moved him from the Los Angeles Lakers in August.

“Bottom line is Andrew is out indefinitely,” 76ers general manager Tony DiLeo told Reuters. “There are no timelines. We just have to wait and see how he reacts.”

DiLeo said Bynum’s knees have deteriorated since arriving in Philadelphia. “His knees now and the MRIs are not the same; it’s a different type (of) situation,” DiLeo said.

Bynum, who had non-invasive knee surgery in Germany during the offseason, has yet to suit up for the Sixers this season. He is in the final year of a $16.5 million contract. Understandably, the Sixers have been reluctant to give him a contract extension given his history of knee problems.

“At the time of the trade, we had four doctors look at his MRI. We knew it was a calculated risk,” DiLeo said. “We also knew we were getting the second-best center in the league, a franchise-type player. We took that risk.”

Bynum has been told to avoid all activities that involve stress on the knees. He is doing low-impact rehabilitation and the team is hoping that rest will heal the cartilage while they consult experts around the world.

“We hope he will back. We’re anticipating he will be back at some point,” DiLeo said.

“We have plans for the future if he is not back with us but we want to plan on him being here long-term.”

DiLeo said Bynum would have further scans in December. Bynum appeared in 60 games last season with the Lakers, averaging 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Steve Nash left Phoenix for Los Angeles to have an opportunity to win his first championship. (GETTY IMAGES)

After a second straight postseason where they lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to go all in and make a run at a few more NBA titles.

They started by trading very little (future low level first-round picks in 2013 and 2015, plus a couple of second-round picks) to the Phoenix Suns for perennial All-Star point guard Steve Nash. They were able to acquire Nash (who signed a three-year deal worth $27 million) because of the trade exception they got in return for Lamar Odom when they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks.

Nash gives the Lakers an immediate upgrade over Ramon Sessions. Sessions played well for the Lakers at times after his trade from the Cavs (for Luke Walton and a first-round pick), but he was unable to create opportunities for the rest of the Lakers like Nash will surely be able to do. Nash will give L.A. the best pure point guard they have had since Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Antawn Jamison was signed to come off the bench and help the worst backup unit (scoring wise) in the NBA. Jamison averaged 17 points per game and six rebounds per game as a starter for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won’t be expected to start, but he will be available to provide about 22-25 minutes. He can play some at power forward and small forward in a big lineup, and his outside shooting will be an asset.

The capper on all the offseason moves was the biggest blockbuster in many years when they acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic. They basically traded Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers in order to get Howard. Howard’s offense isn’t as good as Bynum’s, but he provides a better rebounder and defender, plus 100% hustle all the time. Too often, Bynum was lackadaisical on defense and rebounding the ball. Not to mention, he developed a penchant for shooting 3-pointers last season.

They also acquired Jodie Meeks to back up Kobe Bryant. Meeks and Nash should be able to help a poor outside shooting attack last season, as L.A. was 25th in 3-point shooting.

Add all this to the present cast of Kobe at shooting guard, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Ron Artest/Metta World Peace at small forward. They have one of the best starting units in the league and have an improved bench. That was strengthened when the Lakers re-signed Jordan Hill, who was acquired around the trade deadline for a first-round pick and Derek Fisher.

The biggest question is how will all these new parts fit. Well, if it was Mike Brown’s stagnant offense of last year when everybody watched Kobe handle the ball and end up shooting too often, it would be much worse. However, Brown recognized he needed help on the offensive end and went out and brought in Eddie Jordan.

He runs the Princeton offense, which is a motion offense and requires a lot of ball movement. So, in that aspect it is very similar to the triangle offense Phil Jackson ran when he was with the Lakers. Jordan learned it in the 1990s when he was an assistant coach with Pete Carril during their time with the Sacramento Kings. Carril ran the Princeton offense for years at the Ivy League school when he coached there from 1967-96. Jordan ran it in 2002 and 2003 when he was an assistant under Byron Scott with the New Jersey Nets. But, he failed in one season with the Philadelphia 76ers as the head coach. However, he made the playoffs in four of five seasons when he was the head man with the Washington Wizards.

You need the right players to run it, just like the triangle. And the Lakers have a very good passing big man in Gasol, a very good scorer in Kobe, and an aging but still solid PG in Nash. Howard gives them a luxury in having an elite big man who can do a little bit of everything.

The bench should be much improved, the defense will be even better with Howard and the offense should suit the players more than last year. L.A. has the players to make another championship run for a couple seasons before Kobe rides off to the sunset. It’s just a matter of executing the offense and defense. There are no excuses for the Lakers who have gone out and made another flashy makeover to their team.

Projected finish in Pacific Division: First

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Andrew Bynum averaged career highs in points and rebounds during the 2011-12 season with the Lakers. (GETTY IMAGES)

The excitement in Philadelphia was curtailed somewhat with news of Andrew Bynum’s latest injury. The 76ers’ newly acquired center was diagnosed with a bone bruise on his right knee, which means he will be sidelined for three weeks and won’t be able to participate in basketball activities for most of training camp.

Bynum, who turns 24 on Oct. 27, comes to Philly with loads of expectations. As soon as he arrived on the Sixers’ team facility, he shouldered the load as the franchise player and the foundation of Doug Collins’ young squad. With all due respect to Andre Iguodala, who is a solid player but not a franchise-changer, Bynum is the first legit superstar the Sixers have had since Allen Iverson and the team’s first dominant big man since Moses Malone.

The Sixers announced Monday they would shut down their new franchise All-Star for 21 days as a precaution after he received knee treatment in Germany.

According to NBA TV’s Dee Lynam, Bynum was working out and felt one of the knees didn’t fee right, and that’s when the bone bruise was discovered. Bynum downplayed the setback.

“The treatment [in Germany] went well. I think it’s more of a precautionary thing with the team. They kinda just want me to be sidelined and let the Orthokine do it’s magic,” the 7-footer told Lynam on the Sixers’ media day session. “I’m gonna be out but I’m gonna do everything that I can do impact-wise. Later on we should be crack it up and everything should be fine.”

Bynum had injections of plasma-rich platelets, a procedure called Orthokine, that supposedly stimulate healing in arthritis-affected areas in both of his knees. The Sixers wanted to give him enough time to have the treatments take hold in the knee. Bynum said the bone bruise was unrelated to the knee treatments. The procedure was similar to the treatment Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez underwent.

The injury throws an unwanted wrinkle into the start of coach Collins’ third season. Collins led the Sixers to the playoffs each of the last two seasons and was rewarded Monday when the team picked up the option on his contract for the 2013-14 season.

“I will be participating in as much as I can. I’m gonna be with the team during the walk-throughs, and learning the offense,” said Bynum, who spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the L.A. Lakers. He averaged career highs in points (18.7) and rebounds (11.8) last season.

“Chemistry is big,” Bynum said. “Everybody has a role and everybody has to play together. I definitely want to be with those guys.”

Bynum said this current knee ailment isn’t as bad as the issues that have dogged him in the past. He reported no swelling in his knees. Bynum said doctors advised he have the knee treatment closer to the season for maximum effectiveness. Bynum said he had the injections during the third week in September. He will continue to participate in low-impact conditioning drills.

The Sixers open the regular season Oct. 31. Bynum would have about a week between his scheduled return and the opener.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Forward Antawn Jamison averaged 17 points and six rebounds for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. (GETTY IMAGES)

Antawn Jamison has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting him with his former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown.

Jamison’s deal with the Lakers was a bit of a surprise since many thought he would choose the Charlotte Bobcats because he is from North Carolina, where he played high school and college basketball. The Brooklyn Nets also made a bid to get his services as they try to assemble another super power in the Eastern Conference.

But, it’s apparent Jamison clearly wants to pursue a championship, and L.A.’s championship hopes were bolstered by the acquisition of Steve Nash through a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns.

Jamison had a good season as a starter for the Cavaliers this past season, averaging 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. For his career, Jamison has been a consistent player, usually on bad teams such as Golden State and Washington. He has a career scoring average of 19.5.

A lot of people might not like the decision because Jamison doesn’t play defense, but that isn’t the biggest need for the Lakers. The Lakers improved their team defense in their first year under Brown. Jamison will most likely come off the bench for the Lakers, something he did in 2003-04 when he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks (he averaged 14.8 points for the Mavs).

The Lakers are hoping Jamison can bring some much-needed scoring punch. Matt Barnes was the leading scorer off the bench last season and offense isn’t Barnes’ forte. Jamison is an instant upgrade to their bench and he can be the main guy on the second unit, plus he can come in and relieve Pau Gasol at power forward and play with the starters and help stretch the defense with his outside shooting.

If the Lakers decide to go all out in their pursuit of Dwight Howard, they could offer Andrew Bynum and Gasol for Howard and another contract — possibly Hedo Turkoglu or Jason Richardson. They could start Jamison at PF and his perimeter game could be a nice complement to Howard’s inside game. That’s if the Lakers decide to include Gasol in the deal, but they haven’t to this point. They seem intent on getting a third team involved that can offer young talent and draft picks to the Magic.

In any case, Jamison has helped improve the Lakers’ chances of getting back to the NBA Finals.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Steve Nash will team up with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, giving the Lakers the best backcourt tandem in the NBA. (GETTY IMAGES)

Well, well, well. Just when you thought the obituary for the Los Angeles Lakers had already been written, here comes Steve Nash.

One day after Deron Williams and the New Jersey Nets made the biggest splash in the 2012 free agency period, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped a massive firecracker over the rest of the league on the Fourth of July. Nash, the two-time NBA MVP and future Hall-of-Famer, is headed to Hollywood to join fellow all-stars Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The Phoenix Suns and the Lakers agreed on a sign-and-trade deal Wednesday that sends the 38-year-old Nash to the Lakers in exchange for draft picks and cash.

The deal won’t become official until July 11, but several media outlets have confirmed the deal and ESPN writer Marc Stein reported that Bryant’s determined persuasion closed the most stunning deal of the summer. Nash will reportedly get a three-year deal worth $27 million.

The Lakers swept in at the last minute, leaving Phoenix, New York, and Toronto in the dust. The Raptors fired the first offer, a three-year, $34 million offer, which was followed by the Knicks’ enticing sign-and-trade proposal.

But neither the Raptors nor the Knicks could offer Nash an opportunity to win now and be a champion. An NBA title ring is the only gem missing in Nash’s jewelry case and he knew, if joined forces with Kobe, the Lakers would jump over San Antonio and Oklahoma City as the top dog in the Western Conference. After a few chats with Kobe, Nash reached out to the Suns and pitched the sign-and-trade idea.

“I approached [the Suns] and asked if they would be willing to do a sign-and-trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family,” Nash said. “They were apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered.

“They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better. I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization.”

Leaving the Suns was tough on Nash, who is a loyal guy and thought the world of Phoenix. He could have easily signed with the Lakers without the sign-and-trade, but he didn’t want Phoenix to be left empty handed. Once the Nash deal was done, the Suns acted quickly as they reached an agreement with free agent point guard Goran Dragic to fill the void. So don’t feel too bad for the Suns.

[RELATED: THE 10 BEST POINT GUARDS IN THE NBA]

With Nash at point guard, Kobe at shooting guard, Ron Artest at small forward, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Andrew Bynum at center, the Lakers now have the best starting five in the NBA. No team comes close to what the Lakers have — an All-Star at each position.

After battling each other in the Pacific Division for nearly a decade, Nash and Bryant now form arguably the greatest backcourt tandem the league has ever seen. The Nash-Kobe combo is easily the best Laker backcourt since Gail Goodrich and Jerry West. The Lakers are the only team in the league with two regular-season MVPs on their roster.

What hurt the Lakers last season was offensive execution. The ball stopped moving, Kobe dominated the ball too much, and Gasol and Bynum didn’t get enough touches.

In the playoffs, the Lakers broke 100 points only three times. Nash instantly makes the Lakers a lethal offensive team and he will fix whatever ails them. Nash will become the offensive coordinator, and head coach Mike Brown can focus on defensive game plans.

Nash’s new teammate can’t wait for the season to start. “Even if Steve Nash is not initiating the offense you still can’t leave him open,” Artest said.

Aside from his usual steady ballhandling and pinpoint passing, Nash is a career 50% shooter from the field. He ranks fifth all-time in assists at 9,916, just behind Lakers legend Magic Johnson who had 10,141 assists. He has a 16-point career average and shoots 90% from the free throw line. Nash is one of five regular-season MVPs without a championship ring. Derrick Rose, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone are the others. LeBron James removed himself from this dubious list this past season, and Nash would love to do the same.

Defense is the only weakness in Nash’s game, but with 7-footers Bynum and Gasol protecting the rim Nash shouldn’t have to worry about shutting anyone down in the perimeter.

“If we played together, we will be amazing,” Artest said. “With an A, H, and then an M, A, Z, Z, and I, N, G. It will be Ahmazzing!”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins reacts after scoring a basket late in Game 4. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Speed and quickness vs. size and strength. That is the heart of the matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the L.A. Lakers. The soul of this series lies in the stat no coach wants to see: turnovers.

The Thunder flashed their speed in Game 1 to the tune of a 29-point blowout in Oklahoma City. But that seems like light years ago because the length of the Lakers have bottled up the younger and faster Thunder squad. But despite all the great stretches of basketball from the Lakers in games 2, 3 and 4, they are inexplicably down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The Lakers are the better team in this series, and could easily be up 3-1. But late-game miscues and the inability to make a simple pass down the stretch have really killed L.A.

Kobe Bryant’s errant pass led to a Thunder rally in Game 2. Pau Gasol’s errant pass led to a turnover and set up Kevin Durant’s game-winning 3-pointer in Game 4.

“Just a bad read on Pau’s part. [It] happens,” Bryant said of the play with under a minute left and the game tied at 98. Bryant got the ball on the wing but drew a double team from Serge Ibaka and James Harden. He did the correct basketball play by bouncing a pass to Gasol for an open jumper from about 15 feet. But, for some mind-boggling reason, Gasol passed up the shot.

Instead of trusting his shot, Gasol’s cross-court pass that was intended for Ron Artest was picked off by Durant. Twenty seconds later, Durant walks down Artest near the top of the circle and calmly knocks down a cold-blooded trey that put the Thunder up for good at 101-98.

“Guys have to be more aggressive. It’s as simple as that,” Bryant said. “Pau has to be more assertive. He’s the guy that they’re leaving. When he catches the ball he’s looking to pass. He’s gotta be more aggressive. He’s gotta shoot the ball, drive the ball to the basket. And he will be next game.”

“We played pick-and-roll, Kobe took two guys, he gave me the ball, I took a dribble, felt like the defense collapsed. I saw the replay and they had four, five guys in the paint. So, I thought I could kick it out to Ron and get a good look. Obviously Durant got the steal. Looking at it, I could have probably taken the shot at that point. If I could go back I probably would have. I was a good pass, it was just Durant was active and long and got a piece of the ball.”

Gasol’s mistake was just the icy on top of a completely meltdown by the Lakers in the fourth quarter. The team held a 13-point lead with eight minutes to go, but self-destructed once more and couldn’t put a cap on a magnificent performance at home.

“They started fronting, and when they front we just get all out of whack,” Lakers center Andrew Bynum explained. Bynum had 18 points in the game, but only four in the second half.

The Lakers are supposed to have the championship experience in this series. They’re the ones wearing all the rings (outside of Derek Fisher and Kendrick Perkins) and they’re the ones who’s supposed to have all the playoff poise, while the Thunder are too wild and careless — they led the league in turnovers in 2011-12 — to even have a playoff history (and we’re not counting those Seattle SuperSonics days). But it’s Thunder, and its younger superstar wearing No. 35, who seem to make all the correct plays when the money is on the line.

L.A. Lakers reserve forward Devin Ebanks lost his cool in playoff game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (GETTY IMAGES)

Taking your jersey off after getting ejected from a basketball must for a L.A. Lakers thing. Last season, when the Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks, Lakers center Andrew Bynum decked Mavs guard J.J. Barea and on his way to the locker room he rips off his jersey as he walked off the court in Dallas.

In Monday’s 119-90 blowout loss in Oklahoma City, Ebanks channeled his inner Bynum by doing almost exactly the same thing. After a tussle occurred during a loose ball, Ebanks shoved Thunder guard Royal Ivey and got a technical for it. When he continued to mouth off, he got a second technical and was thrown out of the game.

On his way to the locker room, Ebanks slams a chair on the Lakers bench and then ripped off his jersey. “You just can’t lose your cool like that,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. Watch the classless act:

Watch Bynum’s ejection from the 2011 playoffs against the Mavericks:

Lakers big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 39 points and 35 rebounds in Game 7 against the Nuggets. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

George Karl summed up Saturday’s thrilling Game 7 playoff battle between the Lakers and Nuggets at Staples Center. The Denver coach said the Lakers’ size proved to be too much for the Nuggets’ speed.

Size over speed. That was the difference between the Lakers advancing to the next round and the Nuggets going home. And one sequence was the defining moment of the night.

It happened with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter with the Lakers clinging to a 76-75 lead. Kobe Bryant missed a short jumper from the free throw line, but Andrew Bynum kept the play alive when he tipped it off the backboard. Then came a incredible tip drill by Pau Gasol. The 7-footer had his hand on the ball seven times before finally securing the rebound and a put-back for a 78-75 Lakers lead. Gasol jogged back to the other side of the court belting out a primal scream that riled up the Staples Center crowd.

The play summarized how the Lakers were able to eliminate the pesky Nuggets in the first round, it also energized a Lakers squad that seemed to have lost some of their mojo after an embarrassing Game 6 loss in Denver two days ago.

“You just saw the hunger,” Lakers guard Steve Blake — who had 19 points off the bench — said about Gasol’s remarkable effort. “On that one possession it looked like he fought for like four, five taps before he finally got. And when he made it man he flexed his muscles, gave us some hope, some confidence and energy.”

It was a complete turnaround for Gasol, who had just three points in Game 6. In Game 7, however, he finished with 23 points, had 17 rebounds, six assists, and four blocked shots to power the Lakers to a 96-87 victory.

“We just played hard throughout the game, and pounded the boards,” Gasol said. “We stuck with it. Our energy and intensity was a lot better on both ends of the floor.”

He added, “I just wanted to bring a better effort than what I brought in Game 6. I’m not a player than can put up three points and three rebounds in one game. So I just made a conscientious effort of coming out harder and play at the fullest from the beginning.”

The other half of the Hollywood Hills, Bynum, also had a more determined effort on the boards. Bynum grabbed 18 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end. He and Gasol combined for 20 of the Lakers’ 24 offensive rebounds in the game. Bynum also had 16 points and six blocks.

“[The Nuggets] made a conscientious effort to double team me from everywhere so it left them open under the basket for second-chance opportunities. Because of the rotations they were able to seal down low and get second and third chances at the basket,” said Kobe Bryant, who had 17 points and a team-high eight assists in 45 minutes.

“We also did a much better of utilizing me on screen-and-rolls. Rolling Pau and rolling Andrew,” Bryant said. “They were catching the ball on the move, and the defense can’t just sit on them.”