Draymond Green and LeBron James collided on the floor at the 6:52 mark of the second quarter. Steph Curry secured a defensive rebound and found Green, who ran the floor with no one back on defense for LA. LeBron was the closest defender to chase Green down and potentially save two easy points.
However, James fouled Green after a hard collision between the two forwards. The former had his eyes on the ball as he tracked back on defense. James failed to notice Green’s positioning on the court, who drew the contact from the Lakers superstar and hit the hardwood.
Draymond appeared to hit the back of his head on the floor in what looked like a brutal fall.
Here’s a clip of that play (via James Burnes on Twitter):
Officials checked the play for illegal contact, but it was ruled as a common foul. LeBron James certainly didn’t intend to commit a harsh foul and was tracking the ball, seemingly unaware of Draymond Green’s positioning.
LeBron James and LA Lakers put on a defensive clinic in Game 4 against Warriors, take 3-1 lead
LeBron James is one win away from stunning the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs again. James’ Lakers could be the first Western Conference team to beat the Dubs in the playoffs under Steve Kerr’s rein. LeBron is no strange to causing upsets against the Dubs.
In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to a title win over the Warriors, despite trailing 1-3. Golden State was coming off a record 73-9 regular season that year. James’ Lakers are now in the driver’s seat.
It’s the first time the four-time MVP has held the upper hand in a playoff series against the Warriors. The LA Lakers’ defensive prowess and depth have contributed to that.
It was on display in Monday’s Game 4 as well. The Lakers limited the Warriors to only 17 points in the fourth quarter to seal a 104-101 win. The final possessions came down to LA’s defensive dominance again. It started with Anthony Davis locking down Steph Curry on the perimeter, denying him a two-point and three-point attempt on back-to-back possessions.
The final defensive possession was all about LeBron James. He excellently read the Warriors’ plan to run a hammer screen and communicated to Davis to stay in the corner to guard Klay Thompson on the corner.
James also prevented Andrew Wiggins from going to the rim as Draymond Green, the ball-handler in that action, committed a forced turnover with no one open for him to pass the rock.
The Lakers were up three at that stage and maintained that lead to seal the win. The Lakers also owed credit to Lonnie Walker, who ensured they didn’t fall off offensively.
He nearly outscored the Warriors in the fourth, tallying 15 points on six-of-nine shooting. He hit timely buckets, including clutch free throws, extending the Lakers’ lead to three points and winning the game.
