LAKERS' ROAD TO PLAYOFFS IS PUT TO THE TEST GAME AGAINST NUGGETS IS THE KIND THEY NEED TO WIN TO BECOME READY DENVER 110, LAKERS 108.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

DENVER - The streak is not about Phil Jackson's teams being a perfect 14 for 14 in reaching the playoffs in all his years as an NBA head coach. More than that, Jackson never has had a team fail to reach the second round as well.

These Lakers might make it the wildest playoff ride of Jackson's career - if Thursday night's 110-108 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets was any indication - as they try to find a way to win at least one game on the road.

The chance was there for them at Pepsi Center, but the Lakers couldn't take advantage. They fell behind by 18 in the first quarter only to force overtime in a game they never led in regulation.

Carmelo Anthony drilled a 19-footer for the last of his 33 points with 3.8 seconds left in overtime, and the final shot went to Luke Walton, of all people, with Kobe Bryant denied the ball by Ruben Patterson at the end.

"We want to get on the winning side of these," Jackson said, "because these are the kind of games you play in playoffs and you've got to win these if you're going to succeed."

The Lakers had two chances to inbound the ball for a final shot, calling timeout as their first try went nowhere. They still had a 20-second timeout left when Walton gave the ball to Kwame Brown and cut for a quick return pass.

But Walton, who hit two 3-pointers in the game, couldn't connect from the left side.

Jackson, however, wasn't about to criticize the third-year forward for the decision he made.

"As I told these guys, the teams are going to double-, triple-team Kobe at the end, so he's not going to get the ball," Jackson said. "Somebody else is going to have to step up and make a shot."

Bryant finished with 42 points on 13-of-32 shooting. Brown had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Lamar Odom added 16 points before fouling out with 43.7 seconds left in overtime.

With Thursday's loss, the Lakers (40-36) hold a one-game lead over Sacramento for seventh in the Western Conference standings and could be back to even with the Kings after tonight's games.

While the Lakers play at Phoenix in the second game of a back-to-back set, the Kings will play the Clippers at Staples Center. Sacramento owns a 12-game winning streak against the Clippers dating to the 2002-03 season.

Bryant nearly made miracles happen for a second time at Pepsi Center this season, drilling a three-pointer in front of the Nuggets' bench with 1:14 remaining in regulation and the shot clock expiring.

With Greg Buckner fouling Bryant on the shot, the superstar guard stepped to the line and sank a free throw for the Lakers' first four-point play of the season, tying the game 99-99.

In overtime, 0dom hit a 3-pointer to tie the game 106-106.

On the Lakers' next-to-last possession, Bryant gave the ball to Brown and tried to run around him for a shot. Brown fumbled the ball before getting it to Bryant and the superstar guard hit the side of the backboard on his attempt.

The loss was the Lakers' 36th of the season, the most ever by a Jackson- coached team. His 1994-95 Chicago Bulls finished 47-35 with Michael Jordan returning to basketball for the final 17 games of the season.

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Ross Siler, [phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Denver's Greg Buckner, left, Kobe Bryant in the fist quarter.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Box:

LAKERS at PHOENIX

- Ross Siler