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Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
A single win is all that stands between the Los Angeles Lakers and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010.
Los Angeles defeated the Denver Nuggets 114-108 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday at Walt Disney World Resort. Anthony Davis and LeBron James led the way in the latest win, helping their team take a dominant 3-1 lead in the series.
Jamal Murray spearheaded Denver’s losing effort, which is in a familiar setting. He overcame 3-1 deficits in each of the first two rounds, but doing so against the mighty Lakers will be even more challenging.
Notable player stats
- Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 34 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL
- LeBron James, F, LAL: 26 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST
- Jamal Murray, G, DEN: 32 PTS, 8 AST, 3 REB
- Nikola Jokic, C, DEN: 16 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL
- Straw Scholarship, F, DEN: 17 PTS
AD’s offense, LeBron’s late defense path for Los Angeles
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel drew attention when he decided to start with Dwight Howard, and it immediately paid off.
The eight-time All-Star protected Nikola Jokic and kept him on a field goal attempt in the first quarter as he nearly posted a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds. He finished the double-double in the second quarter with a y-1 pullback and was playing like the Orlando Magic’s best version of himself.
That kind of support for LeBron and Davis was the main reason Purple and Gold built a double-digit first-half lead and put the Game 3 loss in the rearview mirror.
It also didn’t hurt that Davis made his first seven shots from the field while James came down the line and scored himself or facilitated the greats and wide range shooters.
Los Angeles also held rivals at bay for most of the third quarter, breaking the glass and creating second-chance opportunities. It was a dramatic turnaround from Game 3 when Denver enjoyed a massive 44-25 rebounding lead and set the stage for the No. 1 seed to build a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
Davis continued to squirt the offense despite a scare when he fell to the ground clutching his ankle in pain, but the real turning point was when James picked up Murray at the decisive moment.
He cut Murray’s penetration, blocked him at the rim and challenged his handling of the ball, which was even more important with Jokic in foul trouble and quiet for much of the quarter.
It was also a reminder that James, who also benefited from a few whistles on his way to 14 free throws at the other end, can still take over a game at the time of victory even at 35.
Murray’s individual effort falls short
Murray’s introduction party continued for much of Thursday’s contest.
The shooting guard who dueled Donovan Mitchell in the first round and baffled the LA Clippers in the second round led Denver’s offense for long stretches in the first half and kept it at attacking distance despite red-hot starts. I live from Davis and Howard.
As if getting in and out of lane, dropping floats, and easing when defenders collapsed wasn’t enough, Murray dazzled with a Michael Jordan impersonation as he grabbed twice in midair and finished despite a strong challenge from LeBron:
Jerami Grant and Monte Morris also provided key support, as they did in Game 3, and Michael Porter Jr. multiple key 3s in the third as Denver continued to fight seemingly each time he fell behind by double digits.
Still, the Nuggets needed their stars at the deciding moment and Jokic was on the bench for about half of the fourth quarter with foul trouble. Murray did his best with an incredible left-foot shot and a float that went out of bounds, but even he was quiet for a while when James picked him up defensively.
Denver has made a living by returning every playoff, but Jokic will need to give Murray a lot more support for the remainder of the series to complete another.
Whats Next?
Game 5 in the series is Saturday at 9 pm ET.
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