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LeBron James already had two blocks even before the midway point in the second quarter of Game 4 between the Memphis Grizzlies and LA Lakers. The four-time MVP's first swat came against Xavier Tillman, who attempted a point-blank shot but was rejected.
James' second block, which was against Desmond Bane, was followed by a tribute to Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo:
Mutombo made the finger wag famous during his heydays in the NBA. Unlike what the retired three-time blocks champ usually does, James didn't taunt Bane with the said celebration.
LeBron James is 10th in blocks with 259, which is one of the few playoff records that he doesn't own. Tim Duncan has the most career postseason blocks with 568. Dikembe Mutombo is 11th with 251.
"King James" blocks were crucial as the Memphis Grizzlies started to impose their inside game starting in the second quarter of Game 4. It's usually Anthony Davis' job to patrol the paint, but tonight wasn't one of AD's best first halves in the series.
Davis did make a huge play in the final .08 seconds of the fourth period when he blocked Ja Morant's potential game-winning shot. The LA Lakers finished the game with 11 swats, four more than what the Memphis Grizzlies tallied.
LeBron James also made his presence on offense felt in Game 4
LeBron James' brilliance in Game 4 also covered the offensive side of the ball. The four-time MVP sunk the game-tying basket over the outstretched arms of Xavier Tillman and newly-named Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.
James banked a high-arching shot off the glass to tie the game at 104. Davis had a game-saving block against Ja Morant, on the other hand, to send the game into overtime.
The LA Lakers never trailed in the extra period as James scored four of the Lakers' 13 points. James' and-1 against Dillon Brooks with 29.4 seconds extended their lead to 113-108.
Brooks asserted after Game 2 that he doesn't respect anyone who doesn't score 40 points on him. He also called LeBron James old and wished he could have guarded the 19x All-Star during his prime years in Miami and Cleveland.
James didn't score 40 points, but he had several crucial baskets that carried the Lakers to the brink of eliminating the Grizzlies. The GOAT-candidate added 22 rebounds in the first 20-point and 20-rebound game of his 20-year career.
Shaquille O'Neal had this to say about James' performance:
"Dillon Brooks said he doesn't respect anybody until they get 40. 20 & 20 is 40."
LeBron James wagged his finger like Dikembe Mutombo and then became the first Laker since Shaq (2004) to record a 20-20 in a playoff game.
Dillon declared after the Grizzlies' Game 2 win that he's about poking bears. He might have done that with the way "King James" carried his team to victory in Game 4.
You may also like to read: "Grizzly bears? More like teddy bears" - NBA fans destroy Ja Morant and Grizzlies as LeBron James and Lakers win Game 4
