NBA Playoffs 2020: Lakers edge closer to Western Conference finals after beating Houston in Game 4

The Lakers have taken a commanding 3-1 lead in their second-round series against the Houston Rockets after winning 110-100 early on Thursday evening, making it their third straight win in the series. They’re now in complete control and can close things out in Game 5 on Saturday.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers, contributing 29 points and 12 rebounds, while LeBron James finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists for a near triple-double.

However, the main headline in Game 4 has to be the defensive efforts of the Lakers’ team. They held the Rockets to 43.1 percent shooting, forcing 16 turnovers in the process.

Watch Game 4 highlights below…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40Ym5uyc28

Houston was absent on the night and fell behind by as much as 23 points, and seemed uninterested. They, however, found some magic in the last few minute and made an incredible comeback to cut the deficit to five points. It turned out to be a little too late.

Russell Westbrook led the Houston team, scoring with 25 points, while James Harden had 21, shooting just 2 of 11 from the field.

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Lakers impressed defensively

The Los Angeles Lakers made a mark in the regular season as one of the best defensive teams in the league, and it’s been on display yet again in this series. They managed one of their strongest efforts on that side of the ball in Game 4, including the last few minutes, when they kind of stopped trying and allowed the Rockets to surge back into the game, but still held Houston to 43.1 percent shooting, and forced 16 turnovers.

Distinctively, the Lakers did a pretty good job running the Rockets’ shooters off the 3-point line and also at the rim, and although the Rockets shot a strong 42.4 percent from 3-point land, they only attempted 33 of them.

In as much as that might be a good amount for many teams, it couldn’t even come close for the Rockets. Their offence is found on launching 3s at a record-setting clip, and the Lakers ensured they prevented that from happening.

The Lakers also protected the rim well when the Rockets drove off those closeouts despite playing small the whole game.

Houston was 9 of 16 at the rim for the game, and 12 of 28 in the paint.