The weather will be tolerablewhen the Lakers land in Denver on Friday -- crisp and mostly sunny,somewhere in the 50s -- but there's that one constant that won't be sowelcoming.
The altitude.
The Denver Nuggets love it and opponents can't wait to leave it, giving new meaning to home-court advantage.
Even the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau seems to embrace it, inviting visitors to their website to "Try the Air."
The Lakers will do that, sooner than later, as Games 3 and 4 shift to the mile-high milieu.
"It's so dry. That's what kind of takes your breath," forward Lamar Odom said. "It's kind of crazy."
The Nuggets were 33-8 atPepsi Center this season, although the Lakers managed to win their onlytime there, 111-107, surviving the 51 points by Allen Iverson in a Dec.5 game. It was the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers, whowon at Minnesota the previous night.
The Lakers have a respectful40-28 record in Denver since the Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976,although Coach Phil Jackson seems plenty wary of the elevation, if notrespectful of it.
"Supposedly in an altitude,it's the [first] 24 hours you're OK and then after that, it affectsyou," he said. "That's how much I buy into it, to know that much aboutit."
The Lakers each have their own way of coping.
"You just try to drink a lotof water," Odom said. "When I played with the Clippers, I used to playwith a Breathe Right. That helped. I go up there now, I try to keep aHalls or something in my mouth, get your nasal passages open. You don'tdry up as much."
Game 3 is Saturday and Game 4 is Monday.
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Jackson hates hypotheticalquestions, preferring to live in the moment, although he furthered thenotion that Andrew Bynum would not be back this season when asked aboutBynum and Pau Gasol.
"It's impossible to answer that," Jackson said. "Hopefully we'll figure that out next year."
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Derek Fisher will guardIverson more often if Linas Kleiza continues to start for the Nuggets,which forces Bryant off Iverson and onto the stronger, taller Kleiza.
The partially torn tendon in Fisher's right foot feels fine, but he will still need backup.
"It's a tough matchup regardless," Jackson said. "He's going to need team help all the way through."
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Ronny Turiaf did not attendWednesday's game because of a sore throat. Coby Karl took Turiaf's spoton the active roster for Game 2. . . . DJ Mbenga played in Game 2despite getting kneed in the ribs Monday at practice.
