Kobe: ‘We Got Away With One’

Bryant knows his team stole the series opener: “Nobody was feeling luckier than Kobe Bryant a day after rescuing the Lakers from certain defeat against the Denver Nuggets in their Western Conference finals opener. ‘We just kind of got away with one,’ he said, grinning. ‘It happens sometimes.’ Bryant scored 40 points, including six free throws in the final 30 seconds Tuesday night, to give the Lakers a 105-103 victory after being outplayed most of the game. Call it stealing one at home. ‘It was one of those gutty performances that you have to have throughout the postseason,’ Bryant said after practice Wednesday. ‘We had everything working against us — mistakes, loose balls, bobbling balls out of bounds. It just seemed like one of those nights, but we managed to pull through it.'”