The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Houston Rockets for about 3.5 quarters on Thursday, with the Rockets making one last desperate rally to avoid a 3-1 lead. The Rockets got what had been a 23-point 4th quarter lead down to five, but the Lakers got a big 3-point shot from an unlikely source: defensive specialist Alex Caruso. Thanks to the shot that stopped the rally, the Lakers now hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series against the Houston Rockets.
Caruso was a below-average 3-point shooter statistically this season, shooting just 33% from the 3-point line. In the postseason, where opponents have frequently left him open on the perimeter, he’s shot the ball even worse at 26%. But despite those numbers, because of the way Caruso carries himself and the other things he does, LeBron James still has a lot of confidence in him to make the big plays when they matter, according to Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
Lakers’ LeBron James on Alex Caruso w/ the dagger in Game 4 win over Rockets: “He’s a guy we know we can count on. Doesn’t make many mistakes. Plays winning basketball. I didn’t have one second guess I was going to hit him in that corner. He knows I have the confidence in him.” pic.twitter.com/IoMjBCozO8
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 11, 2020
Caruso’s 3-point shooting coming along would be a major boost for the Lakers, particularly in the next round of the playoffs, where they are expected to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers, who also have a 3-1 lead in their second-round series.
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