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Anthony Davis (3) of the Los Angeles Lakers reaches for the ball as James Harden of the Houston Rockets defends during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal basketball game on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill) lyrics
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Anthony Davis was the biggest player on the court and the Houston Rockets had no answers.
Davis had 29 points and 12 rebounds, LeBron James finished to a triple-double assist and the Los Angeles Lakers led the Rockets 110-100 Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in their semi-final series of the Western Conference.
James had 16 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who rebounded the Rockets 52-26. Alex Caruso scored 16 points and Rajon Rondo had 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who held on after blowing most of a big lead in the second half.
“Rotations,” Davis said. “We had too many turnovers.”
That was one of the few complaints the Lakers were able to make after Game 4.
Russell Westbrook had 25 points and James Harden 21 for the Rockets, who got 19 from Eric Gordon and 14 from Austin Rivers.
The Lakers were up 23 midway through the quarter, en route to a landslide victory. That’s when the Houston offense woke up.
Westbrook hit a 3 corner kick with 3:01 left, Harden had a steal and a pair of free throws on the next possession, and the Rockets put together an 18-2 run to go 103-96.
The Lakers lost the ball on four consecutive possessions during that stretch, unable to do anything.
However, smartly, in the biggest possession of the night as the clock ticked within the two-minute mark, they went to Davis.
Gordon, who is about a half-foot shorter than Davis, didn’t stand a chance as the Laker All-Star scored in the lane to take the lead to nine and give the Lakers some breathing room.
Caruso’s 3-pointer off James’ pass with 34.6 seconds left put the score at 108-100, and the Lakers escaped.
That’s how easy things were for the Lakers: In the third quarter, James grabbed a defensive rebound, turned and fired a 70-foot pass (shooting football style) to Davis, the ball sailing over the five Rockets who were trotting toward behind. in defence. Davis calmly caught the pass and set it up to score, the ball never touching the ground.
And that’s how tough things were for the Rockets: They went 4 of 20 from the field during a 17-minute stretch spanning from late in the first quarter to early in the third.
James only had four points in those minutes, but the Rockets’ drought meant a three-point deficit that skyrocketed to 21.
The Lakers won Game 3 by holding Houston to 38 points in the second half, and they prepared to win Game 4 by cracking down again, this time in the first half.
The Lakers were 57-41 at halftime, meaning Houston had scored 79 points in its last 48 minutes of basketball.
For context: The Rockets scored 79 points in a two-quarter span on five different occasions this season.
TIP-INS
Lakers: When James has three wins in a series, it’s usually over. His teams, including Miami and Cleveland, are 13-0 in the series with a 3-1 lead, and are 36-10 overall in the game immediately following the game that won Game 3. …
Dion Waiters (left groin pain) was inactive, but the Lakers hope it could be a problem in the short term. JaVale McGee sat down with a sprained left ankle.
Rockets: Houston is one of the franchises that has overcome a deficit of 3-1, when doing it against the Clippers in the second round of the 2015 playoffs. …
Harden went to the line for the first time with 1.3 seconds left in the first quarter; now he has thrown a free throw in the first period in 17 of his 18 games in the bubble.
HOMELESS
Houston was left without Danuel House again, while the NBA is investigating whether he violated the rules of conduct inside the bubble.
“They’re looking into it and once it’s done, they’ll tell us what the deal is and we’ll take it,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “So I can’t really comment on it.” House also stayed out of Game 3.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Game 5 is Saturday.
gsg
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