The Denver Nuggets are trailing 50-40 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their seven-game series. The Nuggets bounced back from a brutal first quarter to outscore the Lakers in the second quarter, 26-23, but they're still looking at a double-digit deficit.
The shots simply weren't falling for Denver in the first half, as the team knocked down just 36 percent of its attempts. With the Lakers shooting 47 percent and out-rebounding the Nuggets, it's easy to see why L.A. has been able to build up a solid lead.
Danilo Gallinari leads the Nuggets with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, the only Denver player to score in double-digits. Devin Ebanks leads the Lakers with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, plus Steve Blake has nine points off the bench thanks to a trio of three-point shots. Kobe Bryant has eight points on 2-of-10 shooting.
For more on these teams, visit Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs and Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll. Head over to SB Nation NBA for more news and notes on the 2012 NBA Playoffs.