The Los Angeles Lakers knew they hadn’t accomplished anything yet being up 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Golden State Warriors. The defending NBA champions weren’t going to just roll over as they would come out with some motivation in Game 4.
That is exactly what happened as the Warriors led by as many as 12 points in the game and took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry added to his playoff lore, recording a triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
Despite all of that, it was the Lakers who came away with a 104-101 victory. Despite all of the heroics Curry provided, he was unable to outduel Lonnie Walker IV in crunch time. Walker scored all 15 of his points in the final quarter, providing the Lakers with a much-needed boost to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
“(It’s) the greatest feeling you could ever imagine,” Walker said with a smile. “As a kid, this is something I’ve been dreaming of.”
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Walker wasn’t a part of the Lakers rotation until Game 3 but now has a marquee playoff moment that will go down in team lore. The last time a player off the bench scored at least 15 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game for the Lakers was 26 years ago by Kobe Bryant before Walker was even born.
“The kid is a beautiful kid,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He fell out of the rotation through no fault of his own, but he remained professional. He remained high-spirited, positive, and really kept working on his game every day, especially in these playoffs. When your mind is in the right place, your body follows.”
Heading back to the Chase Center for Game 5 on Wednesday night, the Lakers know what lies ahead. The Warriors are going to come out swinging to stave off elimination for at least one more game.
“It feels like what it is: (a) 3-1 (deficit). You go home, take care of business, get a win, and the momentum is right back in your favor,” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s all it is. … The Lakers did a great job of holding serve here, so now we’ve got to go back and get a win at home and flip the momentum.”
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Series deficits aren’t something that the Warriors are used to facing. This series could be the first time in the Kerr era that the team failed to win a game on the road. Despite the uphill battle they are facing, the team isn’t lacking confidence.
“We’re still positive,” Gary Payton II said. “We know we have them down the line. We’ve just got to make one more run late, and you just create that space and opportunity.”
Payton’s insertion into the starting lineup did pay dividends in the early going. Los Angeles wasn’t as dominant defensively with Anthony Davis having to be on the perimeter in reach of a shooter. But, that disadvantage was nullified as Golden State had no real answers slowing down Davis or LeBron James being so undersized.
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James led the way with 27, while Davis scored 23. The supporting cast for the Lakers, including Walker, was the driving force behind the win as they outplayed the Warriors’ supporting cast in a major way. Austin Reaves added 21 points, while Dennis Schroder also scored in double-figures off the bench with 10.
They will need another all-around performance like that in Game 5 if they want to eliminate the Warriors. It won’t be easy getting another win at the Chase Center, but Los Angeles has found different ways to win thus far in the series and will be seeking another one tonight.
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