In a game that could have ended their season if they'd lost, the Lakers fought back and staved off elimination with a 119-108 victory over the Nuggets in Game 4 Saturday night. The win snaps the Nuggets 11-game win streak over the Lakers and sends this series back to Denver for Game 5 where the Lakers will get another chance to keep their season alive.
The Lakers led by as many as 19 in this game and never trailed, upping the number of minutes they've led in this series to 136:29 out of the 192 total played to this point. This speaks to their ability to play winning basketball, while the final results have leaned towards Denver and shown their ability to come back and, ultimately, close out the Lakers down the stretch to claim wins.
That was not the case in Game 4, however, as the Lakers were able to turn around the areas in which they'd been outplayed in the previous contests, winning the battle of the backboards 46-40 and holding serve in the 3rd quarter to only lose two points off their 13-point halftime lead, setting up the 4th quarter as the ultimate test as to whether the team would have the mettle to fend off the defending champs.
The team answered the call and did just that, matching every Nuggets push with a counterpunch of their own, getting key buckets whenever Denver started to pull the game in their direction while mixing in enough defensive stops -- and rebounds -- to be able to hold on down the stretch.
LeBron was brilliant in that final frame, scoring 14 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter, mostly on drives to the rim and power post ups. When his team needed him to be his best, LeBron delivered by making six of his eight shots from the field while playing every second in the quarter (and 14 of 23 overall) to carry the team's offense. Playing mostly out of the pick-and-roll with guards and his big men setting screens for him, LeBron either drove against Denver's drop coverage defense or posted up against switches to control the flow of the game.
Beyond attacking the rim all night (18 of LeBron's shot attempts were in the paint), LeBron also had five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, playing an all-court game -- particularly in the 2nd half when the intensity picked up and his defensive activity was most needed.
One of LeBron's steals came with 2:42 left in the game when he swiped the ball from Jokic on what was going to be a handoff action with Murray, poking the ball away and then recovering the ball for an open court dunk that pushed the Lakers lead back up to 10. Which they were then able to hold onto down the stretch.
Anthony Davis was also amazing in this game, continuing his string of strong performances this entire series. AD finished with 25 points and a playoff career-high 23 rebounds to go along with six assists, another high-level night on both sides of the ball and an offensive performance in which he continuously got good looks against Denver's defense.
Davis connected on 11 of his 17 shots from the field, with all but one of those attempts coming in the paint and all but three of those coming right at or within the restricted area. AD drove, dove, posted, and slashed his way to the rim, using a combination of quickness and power to keep the defense off balance.
But it was AD's work on the glass that was his biggest contribution to the game, snaring half of his team's total rebounds and helping the Lakers win the battle of the backboards 46-40 -- the first time in the series the Lakers outrebounded Denver. And while AD only had one field goal attempt in the 4th quarter, he was still in the middle of the action, setting ball screens to help free up LeBron, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves to get downhill and into the paint where they could score or create offense for others.
Down the stretch both Russell and Reaves benefited greatly from AD picks, allowing them to get into the paint, with his roll gravity then allowing them to get clean looks off because Jokic never left AD who was ready to receive a pass and score an easy basket. Both Russell and Reaves had wonderful games, scoring efficiently while also making plays for their teammates and their partnership with AD helped facilitate that success.
After closing Game 3 strong, Reaves carried that momentum forward to score 21 points and dish out six assists on seven of 15 shooting while making all six of his free throws. Austin was excellent getting downhill both coming off screens and when working in isolation, and then either getting good shots for himself or his teammates once he got to the paint.
As for Russell, he had a great bounce-back performance after going scoreless in Game 3. Russell matched Reaves with 21 points of his own, burying four of his eight three-pointers and eight of his 15 shots overall. Russell shot the ball with great confidence from beyond the arc, but also mixed in crafty drives for tough floaters and smooth finishes at the rim. Add in his four rebounds and four assists, and Russell played a strong floor game and really helped to lift his team when their backs were up against the wall.
As expected, though, the Nuggets were not going to just fold and let the Lakers do whatever they wanted all game. Denver got some excellent performances of their own, with Jokic posting a 33, 14, and 14 triple-double and Michael Porter Jr. continuing his strong series with a 27-point, 11-rebound game in which he made half of his 20 field goals and drilled four three-pointers. Jamal Murray also had a good scoring night with 22 points, though he needed 23 shot attempts to get those points and did not make a three-pointer on his four attempts.
Credit the Lakers, though, for continuing to push and for making the plays they needed to even as Denver started to turn up their pressure with clear intentions on breaking the Lakers heart one last time. But it was not meant to be this time. And now the Lakers will try to build on this game when they play Game 5 in Denver on Monday.