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LeBron James couldn't sustain his fiery first half down the stretch in Game 4 as the Denver Nuggets rallied to sweep the LA Lakers in the Western Conference finals. "King James" erupted for 31 of his game-high 40 points in the first 24 minutes of the game, but fizzled out in the end.
Skip Bayless wasted no opportunity to pounce on James and the Lakers' heartbreaking loss:
"The "King" giveth ... and he taketh away."
James couldn't seem to miss to start the game. He was 11-13 from the field, going 4-4 from behind the arc. The 19x All-Star was also a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line.
The sizzling start pushed the desperate Lakers to a 73-58 lead heading into the half-time break. "LBJ's" spectacular show made up for yet again another subpar Anthony Davis outing.
Davis had nine points and eight rebounds in the first half. AD had his imprint on the defensive end, but could have possibly done more on the offensive end.
LeBron James put everything he had in the first half, which was a big reason he look gassed late in the third quarter. With "King James" starting to show all of his 38-year-old self, the Denver Nuggets blasted the Lakers 36-16 in the third frame.
James' driving layup over Nikola Jokic cut the Nuggets' lead to 107-102. That was the last time he scored in the game. Anthony Davis' free throws tied the game at 111-111 with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter.
Jokic broke the tie with a basket against AD and Dennis Schroder. LeBron James then missed back-to-back shots in the LA Lakers' next two possessions.
The last attempt came with 4.0 seconds left in the game. James received the ball at the top of the key, drove strong and was met by both Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
Replays showed that Murray held the ball down, which made it difficult for James to go up. Gordon finished the play by partially blocking the Lakers superstar's shot.
LeBron James was 1-5 in the fourth quarter and missed two of the Lakers' most crucial shots to save their season. LA is now 0-9 all-time when trailing by 0-3. Furthermore, they've been swept all nine times as well.
LeBron James didn't get enough support from Anthony Davis
When the LA Lakers won the 2020 championship, LeBron James was unquestionably a top-three player. Anthony Davis played like he was in the top five.
While James showed that he can still show that form when needed, Davis just can't put in the same performance. In a closeout game, AD was outplayed by Aaron Gordon.
Davis finished with 21 points on 6-15 shooting. He also had 14 rebounds and three blocks. Gordon had 22 points, hitting 9-14, including 3-5 from behind the arc. "AG" even had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and two blocks. Gordon's defense on both James and Davis was excellent, proving a major factor in the game's outcome.
Anthony Davis is now 30 years old. LeBron James, who is now in his 20th season, had to carry him in the LA Lakers' biggest game of the season. AD hasn't played two great back-to-back games in the playoffs, not even to avoid elimination in the Conference finals.
It will be interesting to see how LeBron and the Lakers shake things up in the offseason.
Also read: LeBron James becomes the first player to reach 8,000 career playoff points
