When LeBron James obtained again to the Los Angeles locker room after Game 4, his fellow Lakers greeted him with a symphony of bleats.
They had been merely saluting the G.O.A.T. in his personal language to have fun a efficiency that was something however previous — and a gritty win that put the Lakers getting ready to the second spherical.
James made the tying layup with 0.8 seconds left in regulation earlier than scoring 4 of his 22 factors in extra time, and the Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead of their first-round playoff collection with a 117-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night time.
The 38-year-old James additionally grabbed a profession playoff-high 20 rebounds for the primary 20-20 sport of his 20-year profession. The prime scorer in NBA historical past added seven assists and two blocked pictures whereas committing only one turnover in his file 270th playoff sport.
“I just try to be as great as I can be offensively, but more importantly on the defensive end,” James stated. “That was the mindset tonight. I was able to make a couple of plays. … My teammates told me I had 20 and 20. It’s the first time I’ve done it in my career, so that’s pretty cool, I guess.”
James by no means responded with phrases after Dillon Brooks dismissed him as “old” following Game 2 final week, however his play continues to make the Grizzlies’ agitator look simply as hubristic and silly as he sounded. It has additionally put the second-seeded Grizzlies on the precipice of first-round elimination.
Austin Reaves scored 23 factors and Anthony Davis had 5 of his 12 in extra time for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who gained two straight dwelling video games to maneuver one win shy of their first playoff collection victory outdoors the Florida bubble since 2012.
“He just took over down the stretch,” Davis stated of James. “Got us a bucket to get to overtime. … All our guys, it was a good team effort. This team is not going to go away.”
Los Angeles surged again from a seven-point deficit with 5 minutes left in regulation with a rally that abruptly started when D’Angelo Russell hit three consecutive 3-pointers, and the Lakers by no means trailed in OT.
“I’m so proud of our guys, the way we fought,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham stated. “We found a way.”
Game 5 is Wednesday night time in Memphis.
Desmond Bane scored 36 factors and hit a tiebreaking layup with 6.7 seconds left in regulation for the Grizzlies, who should rally from a 3-1 collection deficit and win a Game 7 for the primary time in franchise historical past to advance. Bane scored 14 factors within the fourth quarter, however was held scoreless in extra time, lacking his solely two pictures.
“Obviously, LeBron gets to his right hand, which can’t happen at the end of the game,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins stated. “Some breakdowns for us. Very disappointing loss.”
Ja Morant scored 19 factors along with his injured proper hand, however Davis blocked his jumper on the regulation buzzer. The Grizzlies then missed six of their first eight pictures in extra time whereas committing two key turnovers.
Brooks had 11 factors for Memphis after getting ejected from Game 3 for hanging James within the groin. Brooks and Morant each declined to talk to reporters afterward.
James coolly scored the basket that pressured extra time over heavy defensive stress, and he hit an enormous layup whereas getting fouled to place the Lakers up by 5 with 29.1 seconds to play in OT. James flexed and roared on the ecstatic Lakers crowd after that shot, celebrating one of the vital thrilling moments of his five-year Lakers tenure.
“I’ve been a part of moments where you know you get a dagger play or a killshot,” James stated. “I felt like that play — it wasn’t going to close the door, but there wasn’t much light at the end. I just let the emotion come out.”
Dennis Schröder and Austin Reaves buried two free throws apiece to seal the Lakers’ twelfth win in 15 video games relationship to the common season.
The Lakers trailed for a lot of the second half, and Davis didn’t look sharp for a lot of Game 4 whereas battling an obvious hip damage that required a heating pad on the bench. But Davis blocked 4 pictures, and the Lakers excelled every time the large man was defending the rim.
Morant’s 45-point efficiency in Game 3 wasn’t sufficient to dig the Grizzlies out of an early 29-point gap in his first sport again from an damage absence along with his sore hand. He then reacted with apparent ache after he jammed the hand into the bottom once more throughout the third quarter of Game 4, however saved enjoying and even dunked on Rui Hachimura an on the spot earlier than the quarter buzzer.
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