DENVER — One-half of the Kobe-LeBron dream matchup is set.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are in the NBA finals for the second straight year and record 30th time overall.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will need to win two more games to join them. Otherwise, it will be Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic on the league's biggest stage.

Bryant and the Lakers dispatched Carmelo Anthony and the pesky Denver Nuggets with a 119-92 victory in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals last night.

"We saved our best game for last here, or maybe we caught our opponent a little bit off stride," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who gets a shot at his record 10th title.

Bryant had 35 points and 10 assists and got plenty of scoring help from Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom as the Lakers shot 57.3 percent from the field to avoid having to play a Game 7 back at the Staples Center.

They will finally get some much-needed rest after playing every other day for a grueling two weeks.

These Lakers, who are seeking their 15th title, are a more grizzled group — but also more bruised and battered — than the one that fell to Boston in the finals last year.

"Now we're in a place where we didn't get the job accomplished last year," Bryant said. "Hopefully we will this time."

Instead of cruising through the West this time, the Lakers survived an arduous seven-game semifinal series against Houston and another test against Denver.

"It's been a physical march all the way back to the finals, every series has been tough," Bryant said.

The Magic lead 3-2 and can clinch the Eastern Conference finals tonight at home in Game 6 and prevent that Kobe-LeBron matchup that has basketball fans and corporate sponsors atwitter.

The finals begin Thursday, at Los Angeles if Orlando wins, and at Cleveland if the Cavaliers prevail.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points and J.R. Smith added 24, but Denver trailed for all but a few seconds and never mounted a serious charge after halftime, although they kept hitting 3-pointers, finishing 8 of 19 from beyond the arc.

This was the Nuggets' eighth consecutive loss in a playoff elimination game.

Odom and Gasol both scored 20 points and Ariza had 17, and the Lakers made all 24 of their free throws and were 9 of 16 on 3s.

"We are really tough to beat because we're using all our weapons, not focusing on Kobe or myself," said Gasol, who had 12 rebounds and six assists. "We have a really good team and need to use everybody. That is how we are going to win it."

The Lakers might very well have been swept by the energetic Nuggets if veterans Anthony Carter, a University of Hawai'i alum, and Kenyon Martin hadn't botched inbounds passes in the final seconds of Games 1 and 3, respectively.

Bryant scored 11 points in a decisive 21-7 run that gave the Lakers a 53-40 halftime lead, took the buzz out of the Pepsi Center and the air out of the Nuggets.

"We had the effort and the execution to match," Bryant said. "It took us a while to really get a feel for the team, just how to take advantage of the defense. We saw something how they were playing us and we executed extremely well."

The Nuggets trimmed their deficit to 79-67 but the Lakers replied with a 9-0 run to restore their stranglehold. Bryant scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer, that made it 101-82.

"He had a great five minutes at the end of the game that no one in basketball could have covered him," Nuggets coach George Karl lamented.

L.A. LAKERS 25 28 30 36—119

DENVER 20 20 27 25— 92

L.A. LAKERS-Ariza 7-9 0-0 17, Gasol 8-12 4-4 20, Bynum 1-6 0-0 2, Fisher 2-3 0-0 5, Bryant 12-20 9-9 35, Odom 7-12 4-4 20, Farmar 0-2 0-0 0, Vujacic 1-2 4-4 7, Walton 5-7 0-0 10, Brown 0-2 3-3 3. Totals 43-75 24-24 119.

DENVER-Anthony 6-17 12-15 25, Martin 6-13 1-2 13, Nene 3-7 2-2 8, Billups 2-7 5-6 10, Jones 1-3 0-0 2, Smith 10-17 0-0 24, Andersen 1-1 0-0 2, Carter 0-2 0-0 0, Kleiza 2-5 0-0 6, Hart 0-0 0-0 0, Petro 1-1 0-0 2, Balkman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-73 20-25 92.

3-Point Goals—L.A. Lakers 9-16 (Ariza 3-4, Odom 2-2, Bryant 2-4, Fisher 1-1, Vujacic 1-2, Walton 0-1, Farmar 0-2), Denver 8-19 (Smith 4-9, Kleiza 2-4, Billups 1-3, Anthony 1-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—L.A. Lakers 42 (Gasol 12), Denver 36 (Nene 6). Assists—L.A. Lakers 28 (Bryant 10), Denver 14 (Billups 9). Total Fouls—L.A. Lakers 19, Denver 22. Technicals—L.A. Lakers defensive three second, Jones, Denver defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls—Billups. A—20,053 (19,155).

NOTES

76ERS HIRE HEAD COACH

The Philadelphia 76ers have found their next head coach, reaching an agreement in principle with Eddie Jordan.

Jordan was offered the job yesterday and made the decision later that night to coach the Eastern Conference playoff team. He becomes the 22nd coach in franchise history and third since the start of last season.

Jordan, fired by the Washington Wizards in November, was one of two candidates that interviewed twice with Sixers president Ed Stefanski.

The Wizards owe Jordan nearly $4 million next season and would have to pay the difference on the contract from Jordan's new team. The length of the contract and Jordan's salary were not immediately known.

The job has been open since Tony DiLeo stepped down May 11 and returned to the front office. DiLeo took over when Maurice Cheeks was fired in December.