LOS ANGELES —

If only there could be a Game 8. The Nuggets' season is over, following a breathtaking but heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series, 96-87 to the Lakers at the Staples Center.

It was a fun ride, to be sure, but the Nuggets are once again sitting at home after round one, while the Lakers are heading to Oklahoma City for a second-round series.

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant hit an impossible 3, with Arron Afflalo seemingly up inside his gold jersey, giving L.A. an eight-point cushion in the final minute that put the seal on the victory.

"The game was so physical — bang, push, shove, grab, hold — I think their size won over our speed," Nuggets coach

George Karl said.

The Lakers' two big men, 7-footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, took over when it mattered most down the stretch Saturday night. Bynum had 18 rebounds and Gasol 17. They combined for 20 offensive rebounds.

"This game was extremely, extremely physical, way more physical than any of the other games," said Denver rookie forward Kenneth Faried, who had six points and 10 rebounds. "I think it's because Kobe stepped up and challenged the (L.A.) bigs (in the media) and they responded. That's how much respect they have for him."

With the loss, the Nuggets have now been ousted in the first round in every season but one since 2003, though this season is different, as Denver is rebuilding with a young core. And this was the first time the Nuggets took a series to seven games since 1994.

The celebs were still filing out of the Chairman's Club after halftime when the Lakers changed the complexion of Game 7 like a Hollywood plastic surgeon.

The Lakers led 48-42 at the break, then burst out to a 16-point lead, 62-46.

The game looked over. But Karl went with a smaller lineup, and the Nuggets came charging back. When Al Harrington hit his second free throw with 52.4 seconds left in the third, it tied the game at 68. It led to a nail-biting fourth quarter, with the Nuggets taking their biggest lead of the second half at 73-69 when Lakers coach Mike Brown took his second timeout trying to stop Denver's run.

"We could have tightened up," Brown said about falling behind. "But we continued to fight and fight."

Los Angeles asserted control midway through the fourth, with Denver unable to keep Gasol and Bynum off the boards with their smallest lineup.

Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson brought Denver back, following up the best game of his NBA career with another dandy. The little guy came out with a bulldog mentality, unafraid of L.A.'s big guys looming in the paint. He made five of his seven first-half shots, including

some "how'd he make that?" layups.

In the second half, Lawson led the charge from the big third-quarter deficit when it seemed all was lost.

Lawson is the future of the Nuggets — remember, he is in just his first full season as a starting point guard. And, in the two biggest games of the season, he scored 32 points with six assists in Game 6, followed by his stellar Game 7. Lawson had 24 points and six assists.

"Ty drove the ball and played the ball like the all-star guard he's going to be," Faried said.

In recent games, Gasol had been all but invisible. But in Game 7, he was infuriatingly active on the boards, pestering the Nuggets all night. He was back. After one series near the hoop in the fourth quarter, during which he seemingly got 17 offensive rebounds before finally scoring, he let out a primal scream reminiscent of Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics. For the night, Gasol finished with 23 points, while Bynum had 16 points.

The Lakers' ability to stay in the game with the 3-ball made it increasingly more difficult for Denver to also cover the low post. Metta World Peace began the game like Metta World Rust, making one of his first six shots — this, in his first game back from suspension.

But in the third quarter, World Peace made three of his first four shots, including two 3-pointers. Clearly, the guy was an upgrade from the likes of Devin Ebanks. World Peace finished with 15 points and had four 3-pointers.

Oh, and the dude can "D up" too. He made a key steal on Danilo Gallinari in the fourth and often kept Gallo from being Gallo. He also swung over to guard Andre Miller on occasion, and shut him down too.

"He made plays that won't show up on the stat sheet that were absolutely amazing," Brown said. "He was monstrous."

It was an intriguing series to the finish.

Bynum called closeout games "easy" before Game 5, and then the Lakers lost two in a row. Bryant called out Bynum after Game 6. Harrington's nose was broken. Corey Brewer's eye was lacerated. And, on a more somber note, the Nuggets lost Chris Andersen, who was relieved by the team amid an off-court scandal.

The Nuggets are young — the youngest team in the Western Conference playoffs. Only two key players are older than 26.

Asked to assess his team, Karl said: "Tomorrow or the next day, when the funk gets out of your body, you'll be proud. I've never been in a locker room after the season in which every guy in front of me I'm happy with, content with — (and we are) staying with the same crew going into next year."

"The whole thing about it is speeding up the process," Karl said before Saturday's game. "I think it's been a very, very challenging and interesting time, from lockout to free agency to injuries to the major trade, to see the roster doing what it's doing right now. The unification and trust is a blessing to a coach."

Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com