Power Forward Pau Gasol started the first round with playoff highs 36 markers and eight dimes and had 16 caroms in Sunday’s (Monday at Manila) game, as the Lakers seized control early on in the third canto and hammers the Denver Nuggets 128-114.

Lamar Odom netted 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton added 16 for the Lakers, who come into the match having won eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday night at Staples Center before the best-of-seven series shifts to Denver for the third and fourth games.

Nugget’s Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets and Allen Iverson also had 30 points before picking up two Ts with 2:10 before the end of the fourth Q, calling for instant discharge from the game. Denver had a 50-32 record, its best in 20 years. Denver hasn’t gained a playoff series since 1994.

The Lakers led 97-78 toward the inside of the fourth Q; an 11-2 run by Denver made it 101-91 with 8:17 remaining. The Nuggets drew within nine twice down the stretch, but that’s all they can get since Bryant wouldn't permit them to get any closer by continuously hitting at crunch time.