Nuggets’ balance trumps Bryant’s 40

Corey Brewer matched his career high with 27 points as the Denver Nuggets overcame a 40-point effort by Bryant to beat the Lakers 126-114 on Wednesday night for their seventh straight win at home.

“He’s Kobe Bryant, so he made some tough shots, but other guys didn’t get involved, so we were able to get a win,” said Brewer, who hit four of his six 3-pointers in the final 12-plus minutes as the Nuggets snapped the Lakers’ five-game winning streak.

Bryant, who hit 40 points for the 116th time in his career, has scored 30 or more points in 10 straight games. But Bryant said it felt as if the Nuggets, who finished with the highest point total by a Lakers opponent this season, kept beating Los Angeles to the punch.

“Tonight, it seemed like we were just a step slow, seemed like we were stuck in mud,” Bryant said. “We played old. They played with a lot of energy, a lot of youth, got up and down. It just seemed we were in a lower gear.”

Kenneth Faried had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari added 19 points for Denver. Ty Lawson had 17 points and 14 assists, and Andre Iguodala also scored 17 points.

“It was just good to see us shoot the ball and beat a good team with some confidence,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. “I just think the last couple of games, we have been playing with a little more confidence and more awareness of how to win close games.”

The Lakers lost Dwight Howard to an ejection with 5:02 left in the third quarter. He was called for a flagrant foul 2 when he jammed his hand in Faried’s face as the Nuggets forward drove the lane. Faried tumbled to the floor but shook off the fall to stay in the game.

Howard acknowledged it was a hard foul, but he said he didn’t think it merited an ejection.

Pau Gasol added 19 points for the Lakers, and Steve Nash had 15 points in his third game back from a leg injury that sidelined him for 24 games.