April 28, (THEWILL) – The Los Angeles Lakers staved off elimination in the NBA playoffs on Saturday, defeating the Denver Nuggets 119-108 in Game 4 behind a 30-point performance from LeBron James.
Trailing 3-0 in the series against the reigning champions, the Lakers dug deep on their home court, withstanding a triple-double from Nikola Jokic to force Game 5 in Denver on Monday. After squandering double-digit leads in each of the first three games, the Lakers made sure history did not repeat itself.
James took charge in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 30 points to ensure the Lakers’ first victory over Denver in 12 meetings, dating back to December 2022. The 39-year-old connected on six of eight shots in the final period, drew a crucial charge, and converted a steal into a thunderous dunk.
“I love the fourth quarter,” said James. “It’s close-out time and we hadn’t been able to do that against this team. Tonight, I had an opportunity to deliver.” Despite the crucial win, James remained grounded, acknowledging the Lakers’ 3-1 series deficit. “We’re still down 3-1. Each game will be its own challenge. We took care of business tonight but we’ve got to be even better.”
Anthony Davis complemented James with 25 points and a remarkable 23 rebounds. Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell chipped in 21 points apiece, with Russell bouncing back after a scoreless Game 3. For the Nuggets, Jokic recorded 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 16 points in the losing effort.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
