Three Takeaways From The Lakers Blowing Out The Blazers In Game 4

On Aug. 24, the Los Angeles Lakers honored Kobe and Gigi Bryant by wearing “Black Mamba” uniforms for Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Following a series-opening win by the Blazers in Game 1, the Lakers responded with back-to-back wins but, as Monday evening’s contest loomed, Los Angeles needed to take care of business to avoid the peril associated with a 2-2 series that their crosstown rivals currently face against Dallas.

By halftime, the end result was clear and, after a thoroughly dominant 135-115 victory, the Lakers will take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 on Wednesday. With that as the backdrop, here are three takeaways from the contest.

The first half was the Lakers at their best

The Lakers did receive a bit of help from the struggling Blazers but, in short, Los Angeles showcased their entire arsenal in the first half on Monday. The top-seeded squad scored the first 15 points of the evening, swallowing up Portland’s offense and using their force to control the proceedings.

The Lakers relentlessly attacked the rim, creating 16 free throw attempts in the opening period, and they shot 68 percent for good measure. That onslaught continued in the second quarter, with the lead growing to as many as 30 points in short order. With Los Angeles cooking offensively and Portland virtually unable to generate any efficient looks, the recipe was clear and present.

Individually, Anthony Davis was remarkable, and he played with force on both ends of the floor. In the first quarter alone, Davis excelled in scoring 16 points, grabbing three rebounds, dishing out three assists, generating two blocked steals and even picking up a steal to aid in setting a dominant tone.

It should be noted that Davis left the game in the third quarter and he did not return, with the Lakers announcing that he was battling back spasms. With that said, it is possible that the team was simply being cautious with Davis given the lofty margin. Overall, Los Angeles threw the kitchen sink at Portland in the first 24 minutes, and the game was effectively over when the barrage came to an end.

The Blazers look out of gas

As noted above, the Lakers were quite obviously ready to play at the outset, and the Blazers couldn’t match their energy. Portland’s primary offensive action, a high pick-and-roll for Damian Lillard, was quelled by the Lakers’ length and athleticism in the early going, and the Blazers just couldn’t find a counter until it was (far) too late.

That isn’t to say that the Blazers were fully to blame for the way the first half of the game went, as the Lakers truly were phenomenal at the outset, even shooting 11-of-19 from beyond the arc. Portland doesn’t have any margin for error in this series, however, with the Lakers owning edges in star power, physicality, athleticism and apparent freshness.

It isn’t always accurate to reference a “lack of energy” or “tired legs” for issues that transpire in the midst of a playoff game, especially when overlooking execution and shot-making. For a Portland team that has looked tired at times dating back to their push in the seeding games, though, they couldn’t match the fire of the Lakers in Game 4, and Terry Stotts’ team isn’t in a position to be outworked by an already superior opponent.

To add insult to injury, Lillard was in visible discomfort during the second half before shutting it down for the night with what the Blazers announced as a right knee injury. The All-NBA guard was already battling the well-documented finger injury suffered in Game 2, but any further limitations for Lillard would exacerbate Portland’s already difficult task to come back from a 3-1 deficit.

LeBron James remains preposterous

It isn’t breaking any new ground to suggest that LeBron James is, in fact, good at basketball. It is still good to remember just how good James is, however, and this performance was a strong reminder.

As the Lakers dominated the first half to the tune of a 29-point lead at the break, James was nearly perfect. He finished the first half with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go along with seven assists and three rebounds in only 18 minutes. In compiling those eye-popping numbers, James tossed up a trademark chase-down block and punctuated it with a remarkable assist.

Later, James was in his bag as a scorer, finishing with flair at the rim and carving up any Portland resistance.

Given the margin, the game was all but over at the break but, in case there was any doubt, James threw a haymaker coming out of halftime. He keyed an 11-2 run to give the Lakers a 38-point lead, and he punctuated the spurt with a (very) deep three-pointer to effectively turn the lights out.

James played only 28 minutes, finishing with 30 points (on 10-of-12 shooting and 4-of-5 from three), 10 assists and six rebounds. Even beyond the numbers, it was a masterclass in controlling the proceedings and, if anything, his individual brilliance might be underplayed on account of the team-wide effectiveness on this night.

For the Lakers to win the title with an admittedly limited supporting cast, James likely needs to be the best player on the floor consistently for the duration of the playoffs. It is a one-game sample, but James and Davis were both tremendous in this contest (with Davis leaving the game with back spasms, which L.A. will be hoping is a one-off issue going forward), and the Lakers are tough to deal with for any opponent when two of the game’s best are operating at optimal capacity.