The Road to the 2009 NBA Finals – Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers were the representatives of the Western Conference in the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers finished with the best record in the West during the 2008-09 regular season, thus earning the No. 1 seed and lead to play at home during the Western Conference playoffs. Here are brief recaps of the 2009 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Western Conference playoff series:

1. First Round. As the No. 1 seed in the West, the Lakers drew the No. 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 fans. The Jazz then won Game 3 in Salt Lake City before the Lakers rallied to win 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 upset the Lakers and won Game 1 on the Lakers’ home court before the Lakers rallied to win Game 2 and tie the series 1-1. The Lakers then played a big Game 3 at Houston’s home to win and regain home court advantage. Things looked bleak for the Houston Rockets when their superstar center Yao Ming was ruled out of the rest of the playoffs after suffering an injury in game 3, but the Rockets played with sheer determination to win 2 of the next 3 games and force the game. decisive. game 7. The Lakers responded to the challenge and won game 7 handily at home to finish off the Rockets.

3. Conference Finals. The Lakers met the upstart Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Led by forward Carmelo Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets had blasted through their previous two playoff rounds. But the Lakers were able to win Game 1 at home before the Nuggets beat the Lakers in Game 2 and tied the series 1-1. The Lakers and Nuggets split the next two games in Denver, before the Lakers won the critical fifth game in Los Angeles. Fans on both sides expected a close and hard-fought Game 6 in Denver, but the Lakers won the game handily to close out the Nuggets and advance to the 2009 NBA Finals.