5/22/23 HB:
Oh, what a heartbreaking loss for our Lakers! In a valiant effort, LeBron James gave it his all, putting on a historic performance with the most points in a playoff half of his illustrious career. But it was not enough to stop the Denver Nuggets and their remarkable star, Nikola Jokic, from making history themselves.
The Nuggets completed their first-ever playoff sweep in franchise history, securing a 113-111 victory over the Lakers in Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena. Jokic, who was named the Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP, delivered yet another triple-double with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. This marked his NBA playoff-record eighth triple-double of the postseason, a truly remarkable feat.
For the Nuggets, this journey to the NBA Finals has been a long time coming. It took them 46 seasons to reach this point, the most seasons before a Finals appearance in NBA history. Their perseverance and resilience finally paid off.
LeBron James, determined to avoid a sweep, unleashed his full arsenal, scoring 40 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. At 38 years old, he became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a playoff game, a testament to his greatness.
The Lakers started strong, building a commanding lead and showing no signs of surrender. But the resilient Nuggets clawed their way back, going on a remarkable run to take the lead in the third quarter. Both teams battled fiercely in the final minutes, exchanging blows on the court.
With the game tied at 111, Jokic made a crucial driving layup to break the deadlock with only 51 seconds remaining. The Lakers had one last chance to tie or take the lead, but Aaron Gordon’s block on LeBron’s attempt sealed the fate of our Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Lakers fans. We fought hard, but the Nuggets proved to be an insurmountable challenge. Nevertheless, let’s applaud the Lakers for their resilience throughout the season and extend our congratulations to the Denver Nuggets on their historic achievement.
The Lakers will regroup and come back stronger. They have a rich legacy, and the journey to success is often paved with setbacks. We’ll be eagerly awaiting the next season, knowing that our Lakers will be ready to reclaim their glory on the court.
And with that, it’s over. Looking back at the crosstown rivalry, even making it to the playoffs this year was quite, as the kids call it, “extra.” Outlasting the outstanding Clippers and making it into the third round against a monster of a Nuggets team was quite the accomplishment.
Keep checking in at LA Crosstown Rivals for your Los Angeles pro sports standings and scores. We still have pro baseball just winding up and our professional soccer teams are set for a big match-up tomorrow.
Who knows what next year brings. It’s been my pleasure bringing you the games, Laker fans, and I look forward to doing it again next year. For now, this is “Hick” Burns, signing off.