LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant had 49 points and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 122-107 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Games 3 and 4 will be in Denver on Saturday and Monday night.
Bryant, who was 18-for-27 from the field, scored 20 points in the first quarter to get the Lakers off to a fast start, and 19 over the last seven minutes to keep them safely ahead. He left with 2:02 remaining to chants of “MVP, MVP” from the capacity crowd at Staples Center.
Pau Gasol and Luke Walton both scored 18 points for the Lakers.
Allen Iverson had 31 points and six assists to lead the Nuggets.
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