Bame Adebayo was back for the Miami Heat, buoying their hopes for a series victory. Game 4 would be essential towards that aim.
Throughout the playoffs, Miami has customarily gotten up to quick starts. Sometimes that means racing out to a big lead and sometimes, as in Game 4, it means hanging with a hot-shooting opponent.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope opened the game smoking from distance. He also scored two key buckets late to finish with 15 points on 6 for 12 shooting. Pope is somewhat of a bellwether. He hasn't shot well in this series and the Lakers can win without him. But when he's making his shots consistently, the Lakers are very tough to beat.
LeBron James was two assists from a triple double. He committed 6 turnovers but scored 28 points on efficient shooting. He got to the line 12 times. Anthony Davis added 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, and Markieff Morris all shot 50% from the field.
Despite the efficient shooting of L.A.'s stars, it was a close game throughout. Yet, the result somehow seemed like an inevitable cloud hovering over Orlando. There were nine lead changes and the Lakers never held a double figures lead, and Adebayo played well in his return with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Yet it never really seemed that Miami would finish on top.
Jimmy Butler was merely human- a superstar basketball playing human- but still just human. He scored 22 points and was one assist away from a triple double. He added three steals and cemented his status as a top ten player, but he needs to be the best player or his teammates need to play outside themselves.
Rookies Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson scored a lot with 21 and 17 points respectively. Herro's shooting wasn't as bad as its been, but still not as strong as it needs to be. Another rookie Kendrick Nunn was horrible shooting 2 for 11 from the floor. Kelly Olynyk, who had been playing very well, was nonexistent. Andre Iguodala didn't influence the game as the Head needed.
The Lakers won 102-96 in a game that never seemed as close as the score was throughout. The Lakers take a commanding 3-1 lead.
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