Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets guard, strikes like rattlesnake - Denver Post

LOS ANGELES â€" Sure, the Lakers have "The Black Mamba."

But the Nuggets have "The Rattlesnake."

"When he gets started up on offense with the ball," said the Nuggets' Corey Brewer, "he gets to rattlin'."

And so, Arron Afflalo has been nicknamed "The Rattlesnake" by teammate Andre Miller. The nickname has caught on in L.A., where today the Nuggets open their first-round playoff series against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, known as "The Black Mamba."

"I don't know if you've ever seen a black mamba, but it's not a very big snake and not a very impressive snake. The rattlesnake is more impressive," said Nuggets coach George Karl, dipping into his knowledge of herpetology. "But I don't think you want to get bit by either one."

Jokes aside, Afflalo has been peaking at the right time for Denver, averaging 18.7 points in April while shooting 52.1 percent from the field.

"Arron has been our best player for the past five weeks," Karl said. "The challenge he has is huge â€" he'll get the majority of the minutes on Kobe Bryant. Danilo Gallinari will get some, Corey Brewer will get some. But Arron, he has to be an offensive and defensive player in this series. I don't know if he can average what he's been averaging, but he's our most consistent shooter from the outside."

Afflalo averaged 15.2 points this season for the Nuggets, the West's No. 6 playoff seed.

Long-range Lawson. Ty Lawson has been a terrific 3-point shooter lately, making 14 of his last 20 attempts.

"I've been working hard at it," he said, "making sure I lift my shot and hold my follow- through up. It's been working for me. Timing and repetition, that's going to be big for me in this series, especially because they're letting me come off screens and go under screens. So I'm prepared if I come off them, I'll knock down shots."

Pain? What pain? Al Harrington will continue to play through knee pain.

"It's

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still sore, no matter how much rest I have," Harrington said of his torn meniscus. "We have no excuses not to come out with a lot of energy. ... I've always said that if I can walk, I can play. I got that attitude from being on a veteran team in Indiana with Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Reggie Miller, seeing those guys and the stuff they would go through â€" broken fingers, fractured wrists â€" and they still would find a way to play."

Despite making only one start this season, Harrington averaged 14.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. In four games vs. the Lakers, he averaged 18.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com