(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 104-101 in Game 4 of the best-of-seven second-round NBA playoff series. Game 4 turned out to be a marathon rather than a sprint for LA. The Lakers heated up and took over the game in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter.
With the win, the Lakers now have a 3-1 lead in the series against the Warriors. Golden Staten ow has to win the last three games of the series to try to continue to repeat as NBA champs. The star of the game for the Lakers was Lonnie Walker IV.
Walker came through at the end of the game and made one clutch shot after another to help the Lakers take control of the game. Walker scored 15 huge points, grabbed three rebounds, and added two assists in the 27 minutes he was on the court.
Walker is the first Lakers bench player to score over 15 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since Kobe Bryant did it. In a postgame interview, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham commented on Walker’s scoring outburst down the stretch.
“Lonnie came in and played well,” Ham said. “He fell out of rotation…but remained a trooper, professional, high spirited. When your heart and mind is in a good place, the body follows…kudos to him.”
During a postgame press conference, Walker talked about carrying the offensive load in the fourth period for the Lakers.
“I got a lot of confidence in myself; I know my value,” Walkers said. “I know what I’m capable of doing by the grace of God and a lot of hard work and sacrifices and time.”
Los Angeles had a slower start in this game compared to the earlier games of the series. The energy and enthusiasm coming from the Lakers did not reach the optimum level until after the second half of the game. Both teams appeared to be flat and seemed off their game and tired during the first quarter.
There were countless missed baskets and rebounds that should have been grabbed. In the third quarter, Crypto.com Arena came to life. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves all started to show more energy as Los Angeles took the lead, 59-57.
The boost of energy for the Lakers lasted until the end of the period with back-to-back clutch plays from James and Dennis Schröder helped Los Angeles gain confidence. The Lakers were no longer in the lead, but Golden State did not increase the gap by much.
Golden State star Stephen Curry seemed to give everything he had for the Warriors, coming through with a triple-double. Curry finished the night with 31 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. The other half of the Warriors’ dynamic duo, Klay Thompson, had another off night, tallying just 9 points.
The Lakers took advantage of Thompson’s bad outing, especially in the final period. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors had built an 84-77 lead. Walker, James, and Davis worked together to tie the game within the first few minutes.
After a turnover from the Warriors, Walker sprinted down the court for a layup with no one able to guard him. James made an impressive block and the Lakers’ aggression heated up. For the second time in the fourth quarter, the game was tied again with seven minutes to spare.
The game was an emotional roller coaster for both teams with a dramatic end. Ham addressed how the Lakers pulled off a third win against the defending champs.
“No other team on earth plays the way they play…their chemistry their rhythm…its daunting,” said Ham. “But one of the elements of trying to stay close and come up with victory is keeping the scoreboard on your side.”
California State University Dominguez Hills journalism major. Editor in chief of Cypress College Chronicle 2019. Born and raised in La Mirada, CA
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