BBNBA: Godzilla-like game from Anthony Davis keeps Lakers alive

AdamStrattonKSR

Kind of like the Godzilla-King King movie franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers just won’t go away. Even when you think they can’t possibly put on another show, a character or two flexes their monster muscles and puts butts in seats to watch them at least one more time. Anthony Davis served as Godzilla in an elimination Game 4 on Saturday, leading the Lakers to a win, though the Nuggets remain up 3-1.

Davis rampaged with 25 points on 11-17 shooting, 23 rebounds, six assists, and a block in the Lakers’ win and became only the third Laker to record at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists on at least 60 percent in a postseason game, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. That is a respectable duo of monsters from the past to be compared.

Of course, it might be just a matter of time before a bigger and badder giant takes out the Lakers once and for all. Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in the 119-108 loss, and it is starting not to become hyperbole to say Jokic might be the best player to ever play the game.

It’s weird, sure. It sounds icky coming off the tongue when you think of players like Michael Jordan. But in terms of sheer stats and impact on the game, no one is even in the same league as Jokic right now. He can’t jump out of the gym and kids are not going to have his poster on their wall of the 7-footer laying the ball up, but if the Nuggets win a few more championships, he’ll rightfully get tagged by some as the white whale of all mythological creatures, the GOAT.

Though not as dominant as Davis or Jokic, Jamal Murray is good too. He had 22 points, six boards, and five dimes as the series will go back to Denver for Game 5 for another elimination battle.

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander dog-walks the Pelicans in Game 3; Thunder lead 3-0

Anthony Davis kept the brooms at bay in Los Angeles, but Thunder fans might be safe to head to their closets and grab theirs. Oklahoma City put a beatdown on the Pelicans in New Orleans on Saturday, winning Game 3 by a score of 106-85 to take a commanding 3-0 lead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a casual 24-point, eight-assist, and four-steal game for the Thunder as the MVP candidate keeps making the masterful look routine. NBA fans discount the Thunder because of their youth, but SGA and company keep proving them wrong.

Cason Wallace, who last game needed just one steal to make the KSR Parlay hit yet had the one he was credited for taken away, made up for it on Saturday. He had three steals to go along with five points in just 18 minutes of play.

The Thunder will look to close out the series in a sweep on Monday.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro run into a buzzsaw, fall to the Celtics

Sure, the Eastern Conference is weaker than the West, but the Boston Celtics have made it look like a bunch of G League teams. The Heat shook things up and stole a win in Game 2, but the Celtics asserted their dominance once again in Game 3 on Saturday, winning decisively 104-84.

Boston made shutting Tyler Herro‘s play-making ability down a priority and it worked. Herro scored 15 points on just 5-16 from the field and had four turnovers compared to just two assists. This was a huge drop from Game 2 when the former Kentucky bucket had 14 assists as the primary ball handler.

Bam Adebayo put up a usual Bam stat line, posting 20 points and nine rebounds, but with no Jimmy Butler, Miami will need more from their All-Star center to upset the 1-seed Celtics. Game 4 will take place in Vice City on Monday.

In non-Kentucky player playoff action, the Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-89 in Game 4 to tie the series 2-2.

BBNBA Stats for 4/27/2024

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	P/M	MIN
Anthony Davis (LAL)	119-108 W vs. DEN	25	11-17 (0-0)	23	6	0	1	1	+11	42
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	106-85 W vs. NOP	24	8-20 (1-5)	5	8	4	1	3	+22	37
Jamal Murray (DEN)	108-119 L vs. LAL	22	9-23 (0-4)	6	5	0	1	4	-3	39
Bam Adebayo (MIA)	84-104 L vs. BOS	20	8-18 (0-1)	9	3	0	0	0	-9	39
Tyler Herro (MIA)	84-104 L vs. BOS	15	5-16 (3-9)	2	2	0	0	4	-16	33
Cason Wallace (OKC)	106-85 W vs. NOP	5	2-4 (1-2)	2	1	3	0	0	+9	18
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	119-108 W vs. DEN	DNP-Foot
Olivier Sarr (OKC) [Two-way]	106-85 W vs. NOP	DNP-Did not dress