DENVER — Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 31 points over the final 5 1/2 minutes tonight, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-101 victory over the Denver Nuggets and a sweep of their first-round series.

Pau Gasol added 21 points in the Lakers' first sweep of a playoff series since whitewashing New Jersey in the 2002 NBA finals, the last time they won it all.

The Nuggets became the first 50-win team to ever be swept in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers will meet the winner of the Utah-Houston series, which the Jazz lead 3-1, in the Western Conference semifinals.