Game Countdown: …and We’re Back!!! – Lakers @ Nuggets

…and we’re back!!!  After a few days of technical difficulties LakersOfFire.com is back online.  You may now step back from the ledge.  I know it was a tough absence to handle, but I am glad to see you all pulled through.  Fortunately, the Lakers of old decided to come back during my absence as well, so at least this week wasn’t a total loss.

Stupid monkey!  Quit messing with our servers!

After spending the first week of the season eeking out victories over middling competition and the second week slapping around the dregs of the league, the champion Lakers have finally reemerged by way of last night’s thorough whooping of the upstart Phoenix Suns.  To think, the Suns really thought they were up to the task of challenging the Lakers for Pacific Division supremacy.  Silly rabbits.  Winning isn’t for teams with Canadian point guards.

Now the Lakers are hitting their stride just in time to swat down yet another alleged Western Conference contender who has gotten to thinking just a little to highly of themselves lately.  As was evidenced by Ty Lawson’s comments earlier this week, the Nuggets have this game circled on their calendar as they seek out some kind of redemption for their playoff series loss to the Lakers.  While Denver might want to believe this is a huge contest for them, it is really a no-lose situation for the Lakers.

If the Lakers win, then the Nuggets’ spirit will be crushed because the Lakers will have defeated them on their homecourt without the services of Pau Gasol.  If the Lakers lose, then, oh well, they were missing their All-Star big man.  No worries, they’ll get them next time when they are fully healthy.  So, sorry, Denver.  Go ahead and try and build this up as a test of your championship credentials, but that just won’t be the case.

Los Angeles Lakers (7-1) @ Denver Nuggets (6-3)

Game Info: 7:30 PM PT TV-ESPN, KCAL  Radio-710 AM, 1330 AM

THREE Questions:

• Has George Karl figured out a legitimate inbounds play yet or is he just going to be stubborn and let the Lakers steal another game because of his lousy preparation?
• If a back-up rookie point guard runs his mouth, does it actually count as trash talk?  Yes, and that is almost certainly why Ron Artest will make a point of putting Ty Lawson on the floor at some point tonight.
• Tonight’s game is going to be rough, so will Sasha attempt to be the enforcer again like he did last night?  I can’t say I like his chances of taking out Kenyon Martin in a fight very much.

TWO Predictions:

• There will be at least three technical fouls and one flagrant foul in this game.
• JR Smith single-handedly shoots the Nuggets out of the game mostly because he was distracted by his constant waffling over whether to be called JR or Earl for this game.

ONE Wish:

• I wish that Chris Andersen doesn’t appear tonight.  I know that it just a pipe dream, but seeing the “Birdman” flap his wings just drives me crazy.  Fortunately, there is a cure for that.  Every time Birdman does something good, just watch this video.  Cheers me up every time.

ZERO Tolerance for… Carmelo Anthony getting loose tonight.  One of the very specific reasons that Ron Artest is a Laker and Trevor Ariza is not is because Ariza couldn’t defend Melo in the Western Conference Finals.  Trevor lacked the bulk to handle Anthony in the post, but Artest shouldn’t have the problem.  Emphasis on “shouldn’t.”

Leave your own questions, answers, predictions or wishes as a comment or just hang out with us during the game or hit us up on Twitter @LakersOfFire.

Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Andersen, Denver Nuggets, Game Countdown, George Karl, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, Ron Artest, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza, Ty Lawson