Lakers finally solve Nuggets, avoid sweep
Anthony Davis had 25 points and 23 rebounds, and Lebron James added 30 points as the Los Angeles Lakers avoided elimination in a first-round Western Conference playoff series with a 119-108 Game 4 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
D'angelo Russell and Austin Reaves each scored 21 points as the Lakers avoided being swept by the Nuggets for the second straight year. They head back to Denver for Game 5 on Monday with the Nuggets leading 3-1 in the series.
Los Angeles shot 52.2 per cent from the floor as it ended an 11-game losing streak to Denver. Russell was eight of 15 shooting and four of eight from three-point range after missing all seven of his shots from the floor in Game 3.
Nikola Jokic put together his second triple-double of the series with 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets fell to the Lakers for the first time since December 2022.
In other action, Jayson Tatum posted 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as visiting the Boston Celtics regained home-court advantage in its first-round playoff series with Miami, routing the Heat 104-84 in Game 3.
Boston, the NBA'S top seed, leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Monday in Miami. After losing Game 2 in Boston, the Celtics never trailed in this battle against the eighth-seeded Heat.
Shai Gilgeous-alexander scored 24 points and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder took a 3-0 series lead by routing the New Orleans Pelicans 106-85.
Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams added 21 points each and Luguentz Dort had 12 for the No. 1 seed Thunder, who will try to complete a sweep of the Western Conference first-round series Monday night in New Orleans.