LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are playing into their season in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night. The Nuggets entered with a 3-0 series lead, one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. The 38-year-old James knew he had to empty the tank to keep the Lakers’ season alive, and the result was one of the best first-half performances of his career.
James scored 31 points in the first half of Game 4 on 11 of 13 shooting. The Lakers entered the break leading 73-58 at halftime. James was so hot that even the pass he missed ended up in the basket.
During the first quarter, James was tackled by two Nuggets defenders and attempted to cross to teammate Rui Hachimura when he cut to the sidelines. Hachimura would have made an easy dunk if his pass had hit the target, but missed so badly it resulted in a 3-pointer. Watch the video here:
Everyone should have known it was James night when this shot came in.
James has struggled with his three-pointer since the playoffs began. He entered the night shooting 15.8 percent from three draws vs. Denver, and 24.2 percent of three in the 2023 playoffs.
Is this the bucket that will get him back into a rhythm as a shooter? For now, the Lakers are happy to land another vintage LeBron look if it saves their season.