LeBron James becomes the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a playoff game

LA Lakers superstar LeBron James made history on Monday night with a performance for the ages. With a 40-point performance in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets, James became the oldest player to score 40 points in a playoff game.

James' huge scoring night was kicked off by an absolutely dominant first half performance. The "King" looked virtually unstoppable as he got to his spots at will and took the best shots he could.

Notably, he even found success with his 3-point shooting, which had been a challenge for him throughout the series. This certainly gave a boost to his overall scoring in the game.

James ended the first half strong by notching 31 points, just eight points shy of the playoff record for most points in a half. It is also fair to compare this performance to Jamal Murray's scoring onslaught in the first half of Game 3.

Although LeBron James had a massive start to the game, he tapered off by the second. This was understandable as James played practically every minute of the game.

With LeBron James leading the Lakers' offense, the Purple and Gold boasted a commanding 15-point lead heading into the second half. Unfortunately, a stagnant Lakers offense in the third-quarter saw a complete shift in the momentum.

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LeBron James and the LA Lakers get swept

As great as LeBron James' individual brilliance was, the Denver Nuggets were simply a superior unit. With a 113-111 win in Game 4, the Nuggets successfully took care of business.

James had the opportunity to tie or win the game in the last possession. However, some brilliant defensive work by Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon forced LeBron to take a very bad shot.

James' 40-point performance was matched by yet another triple-double for Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. With a 30-point triple-double for Game 4, Jokic also broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most playoff triple-doubles (7) with eight of his own.

The Lakers' poor third-quarter performance put them in a horrible position to make a comeback in the game. Although they came up with some huge shots to cut through the deficit in the fourth, the Nuggets did the same to ensure that they held onto their lead.

The Nuggets' win is also the first playoff series win against the Lakers in franchise history. With the top-seed in the West moving onto the Finals, we look forward to seeing an intense match-up for the NBA championship.