Lonnie Walker IV wasn’t picked by many to be a major highlight in the series but his Game 4 heroics may be remembered for a long time.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis couldn’t be the ones to lead the Lakers to the win in the fourth, so Lonnie stepped up with 15 points to win them the game. Both the Lakers stars showered Walker with praise after the game.
LeBron James: “It’s not even about tonight, I’ve been telling Lonnie, ‘Stay ready, we’re gonna need you at some point.’ For him to be as young as he is and for him to have that professionalism, come out, and stay ready when his number is called. We don’t win this game without Lonnie Walker tonight, that’s for sure.”
Anthony Davis: “Last game he said he prayed for these moments when he was a kid. … Lonnie won this game tonight.”
A clip of LeBron and AD embracing Lonnie after the game also went viral, showing how much the veterans appreciate what he achieved on the night.
The Warriors tried their best to keep this game in control but completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, unable to score like they had in the first three quarters. They only scored 17 compared to Lonnie scoring 15 alone in the fourth.
The Warriors blowing the 13-point lead they had in the third quarter may be a watershed moment if Golden State ends up losing this series.
Does Game 5 Mark A New Beginning In The West?
The Warriors have never lost a Western Conference playoff series under Steve Kerr but will face their biggest challenge since trailing 3-1 to the OKC Thunder in 2016. This Warriors’ team isn’t the 73-9 juggernaut they were and their players aren’t young enough to completely outrun and outshoot their opponents out of the series.
The Lakers lost a Game 5 to Memphis on the road and the Warriors will hope to recreate that and give themselves a fighting chance in this series. Stephen Curry’s playmaking clinic tonight was ruined by his inefficient late shooting, meaning the star will be motivated to be better at home in what could be their final game of the season.
The Warriors losing in the West will mark the end of their playoff dominance in the West, and it’ll be really poetic if that happens against a team led by LeBron James.
