LOS ANGELES – With their backs against the wall, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a shocker, downing the mighty Denver Nuggets 119-108 in a wildly unpredictable Game 4. LeBron James was simply stupendous, dropping 30 points to spark an absolute mugging on the stunned Nuggets.
In a series that had been reminiscent of target practice for the top-seeded Nuggets, the Lakers suddenly resembled a prideful heavyweight refusing to stay down on the canvas. The 17-year veteran James wasn’t ready to put away his crown just yet.
“We were getting bullied, no question about it,” said James. “Tonight we brought the hard hats and lunch pails and got dirty.”
Looking like a team halfway out the exit, the Lakers instead landed haymaker after haymaker on Denver’s supposedly impenetrable defense. Anthony Davis was immense with 25 points and a ridiculous 23 rebounds, making Nikola Jokic’s 33-point triple-double feel remarkably pedestrian.
When the bludgeoning was complete, the Lakers had ended Denver’s 11-game mastery over them dating back to December 2022 in the most improbable fashion. The defending champs were gobsmacked, losing their aura of invincibility.
Of course, the world quickly realized this was likely the dying gasp of LA’s flameout. Returning to the mile-high altitude of Denver, where the Nuggets are 39-7 this season, would surely spell the end of this fanciful uprising.
“We’ve earned another life in this series, and that’s all we can ask for now,” said a defiant James. “One game at a time, and we’re taking it to Denver like domesticated dogs who finally bared their teeth.”
The series now sits at 3-1, with the Nuggets holding the commanding advantage but perhaps a sliver of doubt creeping in after the Lakers’ stunning display of desperation. Game 5 promises more twists and turns in this newly reborn Battle of Improbability.
