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It never seemed safe, but the Los Angeles Lakers did. After losing Game 3 to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the Lakers came back and won Game 4, 114-108, giving them a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Any discussion of Game 4 must start with Anthony Davis, for both good and bad reasons. Davis was unconscious from the field Thursday, scoring 34 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. His first seven field goal attempts came in.
Unfortunately, Davis’ night came to a halt midway through the fourth quarter, when he fell to the floor and grabbed his ankle in pain. He was able to get up and finish the game, but now there is a big question mark about his future health.
If Davis isn’t ready to play, or is limited in some way, by Game 5, the Lakers will need more from LeBron James than they got from him in Game 4, at least in the scoring column.
James finished Thursday night’s competition with 26 points, but a disappointing 7-18 from the field. For whatever reason, his jump shots just couldn’t find the back of the net, which is a problem when there aren’t many jump shooters on the roster and when the Nuggets are filling the paint as much as they have been. .
Aside from his cold shooting night, James was the same as always, adding 9 rebounds and 8 assists in 37:22. He also played excellent defense over Jamal Murray (who exploded for 32 points in the game) down the stretch.
Additionally, Dwight Howard filled the box marker in his first postseason start for the Lakers, recording 12 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and one steal. Six different Lakers finished the game in double figures.
The Lakers will have a chance to close the series at 6:00 PM PT on Saturday, but the Nuggets appear to have the formula to come back from a 3-1 deficit. It should be a fun game, even if it promises to be stressful too. And the Lakers are one win away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Stapler or Google Podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.
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