The Lakers played this game as if it were their last. For the first time during the NBA Playoffs, they decided to use D’Angelo Russell off the bench. By halftime, every player in the rest of the starting lineup scored eight points or more, enabling the Lakers to lead 73-58.
Fighter James for the Lakers at NBA Playoffs Finals Game 4
LeBron James gave the Denver Nuggets his all-out effort but, that wasn’t sufficient for a Lakers Win.
Once the game started, Seven of Lebron James’ first nine shots were successful. At the conclusion of the first quarter, he had 21 points.
With 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals, James just missed a triple-double with his 40 points. He made 15 of his 25 field goal attempts and 4 of his 7 three-point attempts. In the first half, he ramped up the noise as he tried to force the Lakers to victory. In a match when he played all but the last few seconds of the first half, the 38-year-old was unable to maintain the tempo after the break.
Highlights – Finals Game 4 NBA Playoffs
The Nuggets recovered for a 113-111 victory to clinch a 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, led by a record-setting triple-double from Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets’ triumph extended a stunning postseason run, and it also guaranteed their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals.
The Fourth Quarter Decider and Tough Contest
To start the fourth quarter with a five-point lead, the Nuggets went on a 34-14 spree.
With more than five minutes left in a fiercely contested fourth quarter between both sides, Jokic scored his fourth and fifth points personally on the attacking end. But the Nuggets continued to play with him.
With 2:50 remaining, Jokic retaliated with a fadeaway 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer after James had scored to reach 40 points.
With 51 seconds left in the game, Nikola Jokic broke the tie with a driving layup to win it at 111. James missed a fadeaway three on the subsequent possession, and Murray’s missed shot in the paint prevented him from winning the game.
With four seconds left, the Lakers turned to James once more for a chance to tie. This time, when he went for the hoop, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon double-teamed him. The layup attempt was blocked by Gordon, who had already challenged James’ prior miss, sending the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA finals.
History Written and ReWritten
Denver Nuggets advance to NBA Finals for the first Time in its Franchisee history. Denver Nuggets becomes the Ninth Team to clean sweep Lakers in a Playoff Series.
