The Los Angeles Lakers struggled in all facets of their game in Game 3 of their series against the Denver Nuggets, but were improved all around in Game 4. Denver’s offense completely dried up in the second half as they managed just 37 points. That let the Lakers come back from a bad first half, and they’re heading to LA with a 3-1 series lead after winning 92-88.
Nuggets Vs. Lakers, NBA Playoffs 2012 Game 4: Final Score, LA’s Hero Is ... Steve Blake!
Steve Blake was the unlikely hero of the night, hitting a late three-pointer to seal the win. With the Lakers up three points following a slightly controversial offensive goaltending call on Denver's Andre Miller, Blake drained a three from the corner, assisted by Kobe Bryant, to give Los Angeles a six-point lead with 18 seconds remaining.
Bryant led all scorers with 22 points, but was just 10-25 from the floor and inexplicably failed to get to the free throw line during the game. Andrew Bynum was much improved from Game 3 with an 8-12 shooting performance, while Jordan Hill contributed another double-double off the bench.
The Nuggets got a great performance out of Danilo Gallinari, but the rest of their offensive weapons struggled. Ty Lawson scored 11 points, Al Harrington had nine and Arron Afflalo had just six points.
For more on the Lakers, head over to Silver Screen and Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the Nuggets, check out Denver Stiffs and SB Nation Denver. For complete coverage of the 2012 NBA playoffs, stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.
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