LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James scored 30 factors, Anthony Davis added 25 factors and 23 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers prevented playoff elimination with a 119-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Sport 4 of their first-round sequence Saturday night time.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves scored 21 factors apiece for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who snapped their 11-game dropping streak towards the defending NBA champions with their first win over the Nuggets since December 2022.
Denver swept Los Angeles out of the Western Convention finals final season, however the present Lakers responded to this 0-3 deficit with a efficiency extra worthy of a crew that rolled into the postseason with 12 wins in 15 video games. James scored 14 factors within the fourth quarter on 6-of-8 capturing, once more carrying the Lakers late in his twenty first NBA season.
Nikola Jokic had 33 factors, 14 rebounds and 14 assists within the two-time MVP’s 18th profession triple-double and second on this sequence.
Sport 5 is Monday night time in Denver.
After blowing a double-digit lead in every of the primary three video games of the sequence, Los Angeles once more took a wholesome lead early within the second half of Sport 4, however by no means fell behind once more regardless of the Nuggets’ unsurprising late rally.
Michael Porter Jr. had 27 factors and 11 rebounds for Denver, and Jamal Murray scored 22 factors whereas going 0 for 4 on 3-point makes an attempt. Aaron Gordon had simply seven factors for the Nuggets after placing up 29 in Sport 3 through the highest-scoring playoff recreation of his profession.
The Lakers’ 19-point lead with simply over six minutes left dwindled to 113-106 on Jokic’s three-point play with 1:25 left, however Reaves hit a brief jumper earlier than including two free throws as LA held on.
The second-seeded Nuggets additionally misplaced a closeout recreation in final season’s first spherical whereas up 3-0 on Minnesota, however Denver received that sequence in 5 video games and misplaced solely three extra instances on the way in which to its first title.
The Lakers confirmed no give up of their dire circumstances in Sport 4, pounding the ball inside for 44 factors within the paint through the first half alone. Los Angeles’ 61-48 halftime lead additionally was its fourth of the sequence.
The Lakers stretched their benefit to fifteen factors within the third quarter and saved constructing till the ultimate minutes, when Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope lastly sparked a Nuggets rally.
Reggie Jackson performed 9 minutes for Denver regardless of spraining his ankle within the second half of Sport 3. Nuggets coach Michael Malone initially didn’t suppose Jackson can be out there for Sport 4, however the 13-year veteran shocked the coaches along with his fast restoration.
Caleb Williams, the Heisman Trophy-winning former USC quarterback and the No. 1 total decide on this weekend’s NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, watched the sport from courtside.
