The Los Angeles Lakers took the Portland Trail Blazers to the woodshed on Monday and are now one victory away from moving on to the next round.
The Blazers understand that their backs are pressed hard against the wall, and they need a miracle in Game 5 if they are going to avoid getting sent home from Disney World. Catch this game live on Thursday at 9 AM, Manila time.
HOME TEAM: #1 Los Angeles Lakers (3-1)
Playoff LeBron is just different. With LeBron James wreaking havoc on the floor, the Lakers secured an easy 135-115 win over the Blazers in Game 4 Tuesday morning. It only took James 28 minutes to stuff the stat sheet with 30 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds.
James also went 4 for 5 from downtown. James is shooting well from deep in the playoffs, as he’s sunk 42.9% of his attempts from the 3-point region.
It seems that the Lakers have deflated the morale of Portland following the beatdown they laid on the Blazers in Game 4. The Blazers threw out a big starting unit in that game, but the Lakers simply neutralized it with James’ all-around brilliance.
Danny Green finally had a good game to show in the series after scoring 14 points and hitting three triples in the win. That’s a good sign for the Lakers, who have limited the Blazers to only 42 FG% in the last three games.
ROAD TEAM: #8 Portland Trail Blazers (1-3)
How will the Blazers recover from the bruises they’ve sustained in their Game 4 bludgeoning at the hands of the Lakers? Portland came out flat Monday and the Lakers made Portland pay. The Blazers gambled with starting the pair of Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic, but that starting unit was eaten alive by James and the Lakers.
Nurkic had 20 points and 13 rebounds but was a minus-28. Whiteside scored 11 points but was ineffective in the 17 minutes he spent on the floor.
But who’s really missing in that game for the Blazers was Damian Lillard, who had his worst showing of these playoffs, as he finished with just 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Lillard also hurt his knee in the third quarter that forced him to leave the game early.
Lillard will not be on the floor in Game 5. It’s up to CJ McCollum and Gary Trent Jr. to carry most of the scoring load in the backcourt.
PREDICTIONS:
The Lakers have this one in the bag, especially since the Blazers won’t have their star point guard. LeBron James puts up another shining performance together with Anthony Davis in a 115-107 win for the Lakers.
