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After going to the canvas last Sunday when he was knocked out by a brave Miami Heat who had Jimmy Butler as a hero, the Los Angeles Lakers recovered and won Game 4 of the NBA Finals by 102 to 96. The triumph of the Californian team despite the return of Bam Adebayo, best player in the East final and absent from games 2 and 3 of the final due to a neck injury.
If Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson corresponded to the Florida team, on the yellow side, LeBron dominated the attack with 28 points and 8 assists. In addition to registering 22 points, Anthony Davis was phenomenal in defense with 4 blocks and an extraordinary defensive work throughout the game. The Lakers open 3-1, and if they win on Friday, they win their 17th NBA title, matching the Boston Celtics in number of wins.
Los Angeles Lakers x Miami Heat – Game 4 – Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images
It was not a peaceful victory. If the Lakers fan longed to overwhelm LeBron and Davis early on, he had to settle for the Caldwell-Pope of the team’s first half with just 10 points. Active defense was a spur, but unerring on shooting, Butler was in the game.
The Lakers returned to play a game full of errors in the first two quarters, with inattentive passes, and LeBron had a night of simple death, with difficulty getting the ball into the basket. The Heat were right to put aside their zone defense and invest in an aggressive one-on-one, which generated 8 steals and 3 blocks, keeping the Spoesltra group in the race.
But on the way back from the locker room, Lebron James decided to raise the team based on talent. He woke up in the second half to see Anthony Davis being phenomenal defending Angelino’s team, making things difficult for Butler in the car.
The substitute bench contributed, the team reduced its errors considerably, Kyle Kuzma hit his shots. With 39 seconds remaining, Anthony Davis sank the Heat prospects with a triple that gave Los Angeles a 9-point lead. There was no catastrophe that took away the victory from the Lakers.
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+ From Tramp to NBA Finalist: Jimmy Butler’s Incredible Track Record of Overcoming
(1st West) Lakers 3 x 1 Heat (5th East)
Game 1: Lakers 116 x 98 Heat
Game 2: Lakers 124 x 114 Heat
Game 3: Heat 115 x 104 Lakers
Game 4: Heat 96 x 102 Lakers
Jogo 5 *: Sixth, 9/10, Lakers x Heat, 22 hours
Game 6 *: Sunday, 10/11, Heat x Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
Game 7 *: Tuesday 10/13, Lakers vs. Heat, 10 pm
Los angeles lakers
LeBron James: 28 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 stolen
Anthony Davis: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks
K. Caldwell-Pope – 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
Danny Green: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Rajon Rondo – 2 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal
Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 1 stump
Tyler Herro – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal
Bam Adebayo – 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Duncan Robinson – 17 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists and 1 steal and 1 stump
LeBron to a landmark game
Game four was the 258th game of LeBron James’ playoff career. Now, King James is just one game behind Derek Fisher on the list of the most played players in postseason history.
The writing of the first quarter
The winner of the first quarter has won every game in that series. That Tuesday, the Lakers won 27-22. In the playoffs, the Lakers now have 12 wins and no losses when they win the first quarter. What a destination, huh!
The return of Bam Adebayo
The center showed that he recovered from the stretch of the neck, was active in defense and left the court as the team’s fourth basket.
No party in my carafe!
After taking 52 points from the Heat on the field in Game 3, the Lakers took better care of the painted area that Tuesday, scoring just 32 points. Much of this performance is due to Butler’s Anthony Davis defense, who tends to attack the rim a lot.
1st bedroom: aggressive defenses, balance and better butler on the court
Best player in the East final and absent from games 2 and 3 against the Lakers, Adebayo was responsible for the first basket of the game. In an attempt to undermine Butler’s mid-range shot, the Lakers put Davis on the wing mark. It was a slow and balanced start to the game.
Very active for the Heat, Tyler Herro assumed the basket role, while in the Lakers Kentavious Caldwell-Pope appeared as an outstanding surprise, with 8 of the first 10 points of the team. Little by little the three big stars of the night grew: LeBron, Davis and Butler. None, however, unbalanced, and at the end of the first quarter, the Lakers won 27-22.
2nd quarter: Defense of the Heat does a good job, the Lakers bench is doing well and the game remains balanced
The Heat started the second quarter better, with an 11-2 sequence thanks to good movement with and without the ball. Just over 8 minutes before halftime, LeBron shone with a shot in the middle of the Heat defense, but Adebayo called the game, disrupted the Lakers defense and kept his team ahead.
The Heat defense kept the Lakers behind on the scoreboard, with the California team making many mistakes. The good news for the Lakers was their reserve bench, which raised the bar. LeBron had an erratic first half, without efficiency, with no shooting luck. At the end of the first half, the Lakers won 49-47. Butler was the scorer with 13 points.
3rd quarter – LeBron James calls for responsibility and lifts the Lakers
Like the second quarter, the Heat started better than the Lakers in the third. Butler, Adebayo and Herro were the focus of attack for the Florida team, which despite the aggressiveness in the attack, did not advance in the fourth. That owes much to a more assertive LeBron, who forced Spoelstra to ask for time.
LeBron was responsible for the Lakers’ good moment in the game. With three balls from Kuzma and Davis, the Lakers reached their biggest advantage in the game, 7 points. The Heat didn’t let their guard down. He reacted, cut the gap and at the end of the period lost 75-70.
Fourth quarter: LeBron remains confident, Davis buries the Heat with a triple
Davis was relentless on defense, LeBron hit the hardest of the fadeaways and the Lakers’ lead rose again, 6 points. With just over 7 minutes to go, Davis tripped over Caruso, fell ill and was in a lot of pain. The power forward was well back, much to the relief of the Lakers fans.
Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler recreated in attack, and the game won again in drama. Undaunted, Tyler Herro challenged the Lakers defense. A Caldwell-Pope 3-pointer with 3 minutes remaining gave the Lakers a 5-point lead. Assist – LeBron.
Caldwell-Pope scored again and the lead went to 7 points at 1:37 at the end of the game. Jae Crowder saved the Heat with a triple after two Lakers collided. Rondo scored, the Heat missed the attack and, with 39 seconds remaining, Davis converted the basket that fell like a dagger in the Heat’s hopes for the night. Advantage of 9 points less than 1 minute from the end. Victory that leaves the team one step away from the title.
