By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Dwight Howard showed flashes of his old self after imposing his will in a much-needed Game 4 win for the Los Angeles Lakers, 114-108.
Frank Vogel’s decision of starting the former NBA All-Star proved to be the difference-maker as Howard out-muscled Nikola Jokic inside and provided the energy and hustle the Lakers lacked in Game 3.
Howard finished the game with a double-double, scoring 12 huge points while grabbing 11 rebounds (six offensive) in just 23 minutes of action.
Both teams answered baskets early on as Anthony Davis and Jamal Murray looked to have a mano e mano offensive showdown.
The Lakers’ star forward set the tempo early for the purple and gold after scoring 10 straight points and dominated in the mid-range and post areas.
Known as ‘the comeback kings,’ the resilient young Denver Nuggets squad did not back down from the challenge and had another solid game, but things shifted quickly in the last 4 minutes of the game.
Lebron James took matters into his own hands after asking his head coach to guard the hot-handed Murray in the last possessions and proved to be the story of the game in the last stretch.
During the moments where James guarded him, Murray missed all of his field goal attempts and got blocked after attempting to go strong to the basket.
James then put on the exclamation point after sinking four huge free throws that cushioned the Lakers lead heading into the final minute of the game.
Playoff Rajon Rondo continued to do the little things for the Lakers after putting on an all-around effort with 11 points, 7 dimes, 5 rebounds, and a crucial offensive board with 31 seconds left in the ball game.
Can Denver re-cast their magic and mount another comeback with a 1-3 deficit just like what they did against Utah and the Clippers? Or will James and company take care of business and march to the NBA finals?
