LeBron James says the Los Angeles Lakers face a "one-game series" against the Denver Nuggets after clinching a lifeline in their Western Conference first-round battle in Game 4. (More Basketball News)
The Lakers avoided a sweep wit𝔍h Saturday's 119-108 home win over the reigning NBA champions, halting an 11-game losing streak in hꦯead-to-head meetings with Denver.
James had 30 points while Anthony Davis added 25 points and 23 rebounds as Los Angeles finally saw out a lead ౠto stay alive in the playoffs.
They now return to Denver for Game 5 on Mon✨day, knowing no team has ever overturned a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.
James, however, is taking things one game at a ꩲtime, saying: "Well, the only opportunity for us is just to play the next game.
"We've given ourselves another life. We've given ourselve💝s another lifeline, and 🐈it's a one-game series for us.
"Monday's game is the most important game of the ജseason for us, and we understand that and we know that, it's at that stage where if you lose, you're doneജ. You win and you keep going."
Davis' 25 pointﷺs came on 11 of 17 shooting, and he is averaging 30.5 points and 15.8 rebounds throughout a series in which he is often up against likely 2023-24 MVP Nikola Jokic.
Davis attracted scrutiny when he appeared to blame head coach Darvin Ham for the Lakers' defeat in Game 2, but James says he doesn't have anything to proveꦆ through the rest of the series.
"AD doesn't have to prove anything to anybody," Jam✅es said. "He's 🐬one of the best bigs we have in the game, one of the best bigs in the world. He's showing that again through the first four games."
Davis, mean꧟whileꦚ, was relieved to see the Lakers produce through four quarters, having squandered a 20-point lead back in Game 2.
"We have a lot ꦆof confidence in our team," Davis said. "We've had the lead a lot th🉐is series.
"It's just been our second halves, a♏ctually our third quarters, where we haven't been able to execute at scoring the basketball. So our confidence was never lost at any point in the game."
