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Lakers’ LeBron and Davis join forces against Rockets
The Lakers dominated the Houston Rockets at both ends of the floor for a 110-100 victory and took a dominant 3-1 lead in their second-round Western Conference semifinal series in Orlando.
Anthony Davis scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while LeBron James finished with almost a triple-double: 16 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers.
James Harden had 21 points on a lousy 2 of 11 pitches and 10 assists for the Rockets. Russell Westbrook added 25, Eric Gordon added 19 and Austin Rivers scored 14.
Houston trailed in the fourth but Westbrook and Gordon rallied to reduce the gap to seven.
A Harden free throw cut the lead to five, but Alex Caruso’s 3-pointer on the right flank following an assist from LeBron led the Lakers to victory.
The Lakers can secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals with a victory on Saturday.
The winner of this series faces the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are ahead in this series 3-1.
NBA investigates Rockets’ Danuel House Jr.
The NBA is investigating Houston forward Danuel House Jr. for allegedly allowing a COVID-19 testing officer to enter his hotel room.
House, who denied the allegations, did not play in Game 4 that the Rockets lost and put them on the brink of elimination.
What House and the woman in the hotel room did has not been disclosed.
A decision is expected before Game 4.
ESPN’s Doris Burke Reaches Milestone
ESPN’s Doris Burke will become the first woman to serve as a game analyst on a television network or radio broadcast this late in the postseason when she calls the conference and NBA Finals for ESPN Radio.
“Doris is a trailblazer who continues to reimagine what is possible for women in broadcasting and we know she will thrive in this role as a history-making radio analyst,” said Stephanie Druley, ESPN executive vice president of studio and event production.
Burke has been a part of ESPN coverage since the network resumed NBA television in 2003 and became the first woman to work as a full-time NBA games analyst at the network in 2017.
Burke will join Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry when the conference finals begin.
Durant doesn’t want to be the Knicks’ ‘savior’
Kevin Durant said he signed with the Brooklyn Nets because he doesn’t want to be the savior of the New York Knicks.
“No, I never planned it, going to the Knicks. That was just the media putting that out … I think the media just hyped it up and wanted to create so much drama around our team and me that they made up this Knicks thing, “Durant said on JJ Redick’s podcast with Tommy Alter. .
“So around February, as I was thinking, I didn’t want to be the savior for the Knicks or New York. I didn’t mind being the king of New York, that never touched me. I didn’t care about being on Broadway or shit, I just wanted to go to the dance, go to the crib and relax.
So I felt like that’s what Brooklyn embodied and I wanted to live in New York. So I felt like Brooklyn was my main target: laid back, low, all black. We shut up, we just focused on basketball. There is no show when you come to our games. There is no Madison Square Mecca, all that shit. We’re just going to set up and build something new in Brooklyn. I felt that way in February, before March and then once free agency came, it was time, “he added.
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