Over 60 NBA players will attend to train and play competitive games each day.

Denver, handicapped by Carmelo Anthony's injury and illness, relied on their role players Monday to extract a 120-101 win from the LA Lakers. While Anthony, hobbling on a bad ankle and suffering from a stomach virus, managed just 15 points on 3-for-16 shooting, Chauncey Billups and J.R.

Kobe Bryant scored 41 points Saturday, powering the LA Lakers to a 103-97 victory over Denver and a 2-1 margin in their Western Conference finals. It was Bryant's second 40-plus point game of the series. The loss ended Denver's 16-game home winning streak.

Chauncey Billups hit three free throws in the final 14 seconds Thursday and Denver outfought the Los Angeles Lakers 106-103 to even their playoff series. The Nuggets let what seemed to be a certain victory slip away in the opening contest of the Western Conference finals, but rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second game to grab home-court advantage. Denver will have a chance to take the series lead Saturday when the Nuggets host Game 3. The Lakers held a 41-27 advantage midway through the second quarter, but the Nuggets rallied to within one at the break and still trailed by one going into the fourth quarter. In a physical game that saw the teams combine to take 72 foul shots, Denver grabbed the lead for good on a Kenyon Martin layup with 32 seconds remaining. A steal by Nene with 15 seconds left put Denver in control and Billups hit two free throws with 14 seconds to go for a 105-101 lead. Pau Gasol made a pair of foul shots to bring the Lakers within two with 8 seconds left, af

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points Tuesday to rally the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-103 win over Denver in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Two of Bryant's 18 fourth-quarter points came on free throws with 5.8 seconds to play that put the game just out of the reach of the Nuggets, who led by two points at the start of the fourth quarter and by as many as 13 over the course of the game. Game 2 will be played Thursday at Staples Center. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 39 points and Chauncy Billups had 18.