The Los Angeles Lakers were the Western Conference’s representatives in the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers finished with the best record in the West during the 2008-09 regular season, so they earned the number 1 seed and the home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. Here are brief recaps of the Los Angeles Lakers 2009 NBA Western Conference playoff series:
1. First Round. As the number 1 seed in the West, the Lakers drew the number 8 seed Utah Jazz in the first round. The Lakers won the first 2 games at home with lackluster performances that drew criticism from the media and the fans. The Jazz then won game 3 in Salt Lake City before the Lakers bounced back and won game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Lakers closed out the series by beating the Utah Jazz in game 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
2. Second Round. In the second round, the Lakers were paired with the Houston Rockets who had just eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Rockets stunned the Lakers and won game 1 on the Lakers’ home floor before the Lakers bounced back to win game 2 and tie the series at 1-1. The Lakers then played a great game 3 on Houston’s home floor to win and take the home court advantage back. Things looked bleak for the Houston Rockets when their superstar center Yao Ming was ruled out of the rest of the playoffs after sustaining an injury in game 3, but the Rockets played with a great determination to win 2 of the next 3 games and force the decisive game 7. The Lakers responded to the challenge and won game 7 comfortably on their home floor to close out the Rockets.
3. Conference Finals. The Lakers faced the upstart Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Led by small forward Carmelo Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets had steamrolled through their previous two playoff rounds. But the Lakers were able to win game 1 on their home floor before the Nuggets beat the Lakers in game 2 and tied the series at 1-1. The Lakers and the Nuggets split the next two games in Denver, before the Lakers won the critical game 5 in Los Angeles. Fans from both sides expected a close and hard-fought game 6 in Denver, but the Lakers won the game comfortably to close out the Nuggets and advance to the 2009 NBA Finals.