LOS ANGELES, April 17 -- Shaquille O'Neal 33 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday night and Kobe Bryant added 26 points as the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the Pacific Division title for the second straight season with a 108-91 rout of the Denver Nuggets in their regular season finale.
The Lakers locked up the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs as well and finished first in the Pacific for the 17th time in franchise history. They have captured the NBA championship seven of those times.
Los Angeles will host seventh-seeded Portland in the opening round of the playoffs beginning this weekend. Last year, the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers in a hard-fought seven-game series in the Western Conference finals on the way to their 12th world title.
O'Neal, who never had made more than three free throws in a game without a miss, set a personal mark by making 13-of-13 from the charity stripe. He is shooting 67 percent from the line over the last 15 games.
The Lakers closed the season with an eight-game winning streak for the first time in team history.
Denver saw an early seven-point advantage disappear but still was tied at 48 when rookie Dan McClintock tipped in a miss with 2:12 to play in the second period.
O'Neal then converted a pair from the line, rookie Mike Penberthy did the same and added a three-pointer and rookie Stanislav Medvedenko hit a fast-break layup for a 57-51 Lakers' lead at the break.
They opened the third quarter with a 16-2 run, pushing the lead to 73-53 on Bryant's steal and flashy dunk. He had eight points, three assists and two steals in the surge.
Raef LaFrentz scored 22 points and Voshon Lenard added 20 off the bench for Denver, which pulled to within nine during garbage time in the fourth quarter but never threatened the Lakers'lead. The Nuggets end their season at home Wednesday night against Sacramento.
