[ad_1]
CHICAGO – Five inches and 35 pounds.
Those were the hurdles Jamal Murray faced when the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Denver Nuggets star was protected exclusively by LeBron James in the final 5:21 of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
It’s not exactly a fair fight. It was as if a mischievous fourth grader was accosted by a burly town police chief with a bad temper and a big gun.
Obviously, the defensive change helped, but to say that LeBron shut down Murray and that it resulted in the Lakers’ 114-108 victory in Game 4 is an exaggeration.
Look, when LeBron took over the assignment, Murray had already fired 18 shots from the field and eight free throws as he spent a grueling 40 minutes touring the entire floor of the Advent Health Center in Orlando.
Tired and ready for the pick, anyone on the Lakers coaching staff could have protected Murray at the time and limited him to 0-for-2 from the field.
Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos
So yeah, turn down the volume on those hallelujahs. James is still great at 35, but he didn’t really break Jamal Murray’s safe. The King simply pierced through a weakened and vulnerable asset.
The Nuggets lost Game 4 and fell 3-1 in the best-of-seven series for a myriad of reasons.
They were outscored 41-31 and delivered 12 offensive boards. They also allowed the Lakers 25 second-chance points as they were brought down on fast-break points, 17-9.
And when AD and LeBron throw you a 60-point combination on top of that ugly pile of mistakes, you can forget about it.
Murray was phenomenal, almost a savior again with 32 points and eight assists, but fellow star Nikola Jokic had more fouls (5) than assists (4) and couldn’t find his rhythm.
Still, LeBron deserves credit for demanding to protect Murray, a difficult task that requires energy and effort to go after someone 12 years younger. It also requires a good deal of strength and patience to navigate the multitude of screens the Nuggets use to protect Murray.
Those of us who live here in Chicago have seen this movie before in the 2011 Eastern Finals. It’s a nightmare for all Bulls fans.
At the peak of his powers when he was still a Miami Heat, LeBron James defended the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Derrick Rose in the fourth quarters of Game 4 and 5 of that series and held D-Rose to just 1-1. 15 from the field, for Undefeated.
MORE OF SPIN
So why didn’t LeBron face Murray in previous games?
Because following Murray would require much of his stamina to be effective on the offensive side, where he is the catalyst for the Lakers’ attack. After all, he’s in his magnificent 17th season with 48,551 minutes on those weary knees.
But on limited streaks, heck yeah. The King can contain anyone. Nobody.
So Murray better be ready in Game 5.
SOUP ME. There was a time when accepting the fate of a nasty hiss was just part of the game. Referees are human, susceptible to mistakes, so we used to sleep on heartbreak and wake up ready for another game to cheer up.
The Nuggets-Lakers series has not been perfectly refereed. Nothing is.
The only difference is that both sides are whistling and the annoying noise drowns out some of the highlights of a beautifully played showdown between two powerhouses.
The Nuggets began by complaining that the Lakers fired 16 free throws in the second quarter of Game 1.
And when LeBron made just two free throws in Game 3, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel admitted that he sent videos to the NBA that showed some plays where they thought a foul had been committed but was never whistled.
After a loss in Game 4, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said The Denver Post he intends to use “the propulsion channels” to address the referees.
I wish they would just play ball and leave the crying for more appropriate occasions.
The drama section on Netflix would require the precipitation of a liquid sadness. But we don’t need angry tears in the NBA playoffs.
