This day in Nuggets history: Carmelo scores 34 to tie WCF at 1-1 against the Lakers

On this day 16 years ago, the Denver Nuggets tied the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece thanks to 34 points from Carmelo Anthony

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

May 21, 2025, 11:59 AM

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The Denver Nuggets were heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals down 1-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers on this day in 2009. They had just a grueling Game 1 that they lost by two points, and had to steal the second game in the Staples Center to give themselves a shot at upsetting Kobe Bryant and the 65-17 Lakers.

Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony was coming off his fourth consecutive 30-point performance and knew that he had to put the team on his back to do so. He didn’t have the most efficient night of his career, finishing just 12-for-29 from the field, but put up 34 points to squeak out a 106-103 victory and even the series at one game apiece.

Carmelo Anthony dropped 34 PTS against the Lakers in Game 2 of the WCF! (2009) pic.twitter.com/qD6neuYIS3

— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) April 18, 2024

Denver trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter before Anthony and Chauncey Billups started working their magic to draw Denver back to just a one-point deficit at the half. Billups finished the night with 32 points as the right-hand man to Anthony.

Denver still trailed by one after three quarters, but the dynamic duo scored 17 combined points in the fourth quarter — mostly from the charity stripe — to push Denver out in front and give them the gritty victory on the road.

For the Lakers, the great Kobe Bryant scored 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting while Trevor Ariza poured in 20 of his own. Bryant hit all 10 of his free throws.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent days with how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are being officiated after he took 14 free throws in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night. While Oklahoma City got a friendly whistle in that contest, there were only 47 combined free throws. In Game 2 of the ’09 WCF, the Nuggets and Lakers shot a combined 72 free throws in that game! Ironically, the umpire for that game was Marc Davis, who is arguably the least favorite official in today’s NBA amongst Nuggets Nation.

Heading into Game 2 was the first time all playoffs that Denver had trailed in a series, as the only other two games they lost came later in the series of the first two rounds. They shouldn’t have lost Game 1 of the Conference Finals, as they led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter and were tied with just 30 seconds in the game.

This game showed the talent and resilience of that ’09 Nuggets teams, one of the best teams in franchise history. They clawed back from a deficit against the best team — and arguably the best player — in the NBA, and in one of the toughest environments to play at in the Staples Center.