Nba Playoffs Western Conference | featured news

Kobe Bryant had 37 points and 6 rebounds as Los Angeles won the Western Conference title and advanced to face the Boston Celtics.

Ron Artest beat the buzzer with a wild bank shot after rebounding Kobe Bryant’s miss, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 103-101 on Thursday night to take a 3

They had the best seat in the house, Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire did. Cushioned, with a courtside view of one of the most important games in recent Suns history. Ordinarily, Nash and Stoudemire would be on the floor, running and gunning, trying to power Phoenix to a critical victory in the fourth quarter. But on Tuesday night, their place was on the bench, watching. Watching the Suns' second unit manhandle the Lakers starters on the way to a Western Conference finals series-tying 115-106 win.

Amare Stoudemire matched his career playoff high with 42 points, 29 in the second half, and grabbed 11 rebounds to power the Phoenix Suns to a 118-109 victory Sunday night that cut the Los Angeles Lakers’ lead in the series to 2-1.

The Los Angeles Lakers are halfway to another NBA finals, and their fans already know who they want their dominant defending champions to play next.

Kobe Bryant dribbled toward the Lakers' bench, luring Channing Frye and Jason Richardson along with him. Bryant leaned back and launched a feather-soft jumper over Phoenix's double team, neatly beating the first-quarter buzzer....

The Los Angeles Lakers played more like they were trying to avoid a sweep rather than complete one....

Steve Nash scored 20 points and played with a right eye that was swollen shut as Phoenix swept San Antonio for the first time in five tries.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher hit back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-2 run in the final minute and the Lakers held on for a 111-110 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night that put Los Angeles on the verge of sweeping the Western Conference playoff series....

The Phoenix Suns would be thrilled to finally beat the Spurs in the playoffs by any margin. But a sweep? That would be especially sweet. Phoenix is one win away from ending years of playoff misery against San Antonio, taking a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals with a 110-96 victory Friday night, putting the Spurs in a historically irreparable hole.

"I think it's safe to say that may have been the best fourth-quarter performance I have ever seen in a playoff game," Suns forward Grant Hill said.