James gave Bob Myers flashbacks with his block on Jamal Murray.
Said Myers during Game 4 between the Lakers and Nuggets, “That’s more impressive to me than the scoring. I mean, chasing down a blocked shot. I remember when he did that one time in Oakland. But I didn’t like it.”
Of course, Myers is referring to LeBron’s legendary Game 7 chase down block on Andre Iguodala in the 2016 NBA Finals. That block has gone down as one of the great plays in NBA lore.
As Iguodala took two steps as he powered toward the hoop before going airborne, James sized him up and sprung at Iguodala’s shot attempt from behind, blocking the potential layup off the glass with 1:50 remaining.
Had James not made the chase-down block, Golden State would have had the lead — and a raucous home crowd — on its side in the game’s final moments. Instead, The Block set up The Three by Kyrie Irving less than a minute later and, ultimately, the championship for Cleveland shortly thereafter.
Lakers hold on to win Game 4
The Lakers finally broke through in the win column against the Nuggets on Saturday night with a 119-108 win.
James had 30 points, while Anthony Davis had 25 points and 23 rebounds for Los Angeles.
Most importantly, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell both showed up for the Lakers. Both players had 21 points apiece.
While the Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic’s 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, they didn’t get much contribution from their bench in Game 4. Nuggets reserves combined to score only five points against the Lakers. Additionally, Aaron Gordon – who was pivotal in Denver’s Game 3 win over the Lakers – was held to only seven points in 42 minutes of action.
With the Lakers’ win over Denver, Game 5 will now be played on Monday night in Denver. Facing elimination with their backs against the wall, Los Angeles needs to win the rest of the way if they hope to advance in the NBA Playoffs.