The Los Angeles Lakers were able to outlast the Golden State Warriors in a thriller, winning Game 4, 104-101, to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Anthony Davis got off to a good start with four quick points, but new starter Gary Payton II was a spark with his passing and defense that led to an 11-6 lead for the Warriors. Los Angeles picked things back up defensively on the other end, though, and was able to trim the deficit back down to one.
The Lakers were able to reel off a 10-0 run by attacking the basket every time down, taking a 16-11 lead in the process. LeBron James was able to punish Golden State with a couple of baskets at the rim, but a sloppy close only gave them a 22-21 lead after the first quarter.
Stephen Curry started to get going early in the second by making a couple of baskets, while Draymond Green got a layup to go plus a dime to Payton to force a timeout from Darvin Ham. Los Angeles was able to get back to what it does best by scoring in the paint, and James knocked down his first 3 to cap off an 8-0 run.
Both teams started to see more shots go down, with L.A. holding the slight edge thanks to Davis. Davis and Curry went back and forth at the end of the quarter, but it was the Lakers who would go into the half trailing 52-49.
Los Angeles’ defense wasn’t sharp to start the third as Golden State got several wide-open looks, but James and Reaves responded with a 10-0 run to give them back the lead. Unfortunately, the Lakers were unable to keep that momentum and quickly fell back down by 68-59.
Davis and James kept applying pressure on the rim, but the Warriors’ ball movement led to quality looks that they knocked down. James finally decided to assert himself as he took control of the offense, but Curry’s playmaking left them trailing 84-77.
It didn’t take long for the Lakers to reel off a 7-0 run thanks to James and Davis, tying the game up at 84 apiece. Lonnie Walker was the unexpected hero for Los Angeles as he bailed them out on several possessions, but Curry wrestled away the momentum for Golden State.
Reaves came alive in the final period as he gave the Laker offense a lift, but Curry continued to keep them at bay almost single-handedly. The final minutes of the fourth felt like a Finals game as each team battled tooth and nail every time down the floor.
