The Los Angeles Lakers came into Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals looking to take a 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.
If someone were to say the Lakers were going to win, one would expect LeBron James or Anthony Davis to lead the way. If not, perhaps one would guess that D’Angelo Russell would’ve had another big game, or that Rui Hachimura would have gotten hot off the bench.
But who would’ve expected Lonnie Walker IV to be the hero?
The reserve guard, who had fallen out of head coach Darvin Ham’s rotation late in the season following the team’s big trades, led L.A. to a 104-101 win, and it was seemingly a Hollywood-style story.
The game went back and forth, as both squads jockeyed for control of the series in this crucial game. Down the stretch, it was the defending NBA champion Warriors, and not the inexperienced Lakers, who fell apart.
The Warriors committed a series of turnovers and miscues that practically handed the game to Los Angeles. Stephen Curry tried to rescue them with a virtuoso 31-point triple-double, but he flamed out in crunch time.
The Lakers truly showed their mettle and resourcefulness in this one, and now they will have three chances to knock the Warriors out of the playoffs.