May 8, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers Metta World Peace (right) warms up with coach Darvin Ham before game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Denver Nuggets have taken control of the first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

They have dominated the pace of the previous two games, making the Lakers into a running team. However, L.A. is getting some reinforcements as the series returns to the Staples Center.

Metta World Peace is returning from a 6-game suspension in time to either save the Lakers or add to the sinking ship.

Say what you will about World Peace, if the mind is right and the heart is in a good spot he is a force to reckon with. But more than anything him just being on the floor should help the Lakers, who have had to start Devin Ebanks the previous two games. Ebanks had 10 points in Game 1, but has scored only 21 points the rest of the series.

World Peace is shooting below .40 percent from the field and is averaging a career-worst 7.7 points. However, World Peace is still an elite defender, just ask Danilo Gallinari.

In the regular season, Gallinari struggled against the veteran small forward. Shooting less than .30 percent from the field and averaging 10 points. In the postseason, hasn’t been stellar by any means but he has been active – averaging 15.2 points and grabbing 5.5 rebounds.

World Peace will most likely defend Gallinari in Game 7, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kobe Bryant defend Ty Lawson since Arron Afflalo hasn’t been the same in the series.

Probably the wild card for the Lakers, is World Peace’s jump shot. He isn’t consistent from long range and the Nuggets have shown that they can make L.A. pay for missing shots. In Game 5, Denver had 30 fast break points.

We probably won’t be seeing a shooting clinic from the Nuggets, like we did in Game 6. Lawson hit his first five shots, and hit 5 of 6 from behind the arc. Andre Miller and Corey Brewer also hit from behind the arc. But if Denver plays with the energy it has the previous two games the Nuggets could be on their way to Oklahoma City.

May 10, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) reacts during the second half of game six in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

The upstart Denver Nuggets have once again made it a series and they did it by outplaying the No. 3-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.

The fast-paced Nuggets took advantage of Kobe Bryant ‘s bout with a stomach virus and the non-existence of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the post.

Ty Lawson led the charge by playing his best game of the season, he hit his first five shots and helped Denver jump out to a 13-0 lead. He then got his teammates involved, finding both Kenneth Faried and Timofey Mozgov for dunks.

Lawson scored a season-best 32 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out six assists. He also had zero turnovers. Just proving how dangerous the Nuggets are when Lawson is on his ‘A’ game.

However, it was the defense of Faried and Mozgov in the post that kept the Lakers offense locked up. Faried held Gasol to only three points and made Gasol a perimeter player. Mozgov frustrated Bynum into his worst game of the series. The All-Star center shot only 4-of-11 from the field for 11 points.

With those two locked up in the post, all the pressure fell on Bryant. He did hit 13 of 23 shots for 31 points, but the rest of the Lakers starters shot only 12 of 39.

Gasol was a no-show over the past three games and has been greatly outplayed by Faried. Since Game 3, Gasol has shot only 6 of 31 and has averaged only 5 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Corey Brewer has been a nice surprise for Denver in this series and was at his best in Game 6. He single-handily held off a Lakers rally, scoring the Nuggets first six points of the fourth quarter and scoring 11 of his 18 points in the final quarter.

Now Denver must adjust to the always entertaining/frightening Metta World Peace, who is returning after serving a six-game suspension. World Peace as crazy as he is may cause problems for Denver’s perimeter players who have gotten used to the inconsistent play of

May 10, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) reacts during the second half of game six in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

and Matt Barnes.

None the less, this Nuggets team has surpassed the odds and have proven they are not somebody that should be overlooked.