Finally waited for this day, the 40-year-old James used his strength to prove to the world that the years have not left any traces on him! In the fourth matchup between the Lakers and the Nuggets, although the referee was obviously biased towards the Nuggets, Lao Zhan just did not allow anyone to script his basketball career. Who said that 40 has to stay at home and drink tea honestly? In this game, James is the protagonist, no matter how the referee blows the penalty!
Let's talk about the game. James, a veteran who has been at the top of the league for many years, is still in amazing form. At the end of the game, he finished with 30 points on 14-of-23 shooting, along with five rebounds and four assists, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The point is, he was almost always against unfavorable referee decisions in this game, and only got two free throws in the whole game. You heard that right, there were only two! Jokic, on the other side, made 11 free throws. It's incomprehensible where this free throw gap is placed, is Lao Zhan's impact on the basket invisible?
But what is the referee's whistle? James used his performance to show everyone that the real king is not afraid of any challenge. No matter how biased the referee is, the score on the field will not lie. In the fourth quarter, a crucial penalty nearly changed the course of the game. Pope obviously touched the ball out of bounds, but the referee insisted that James moved it, and the ball was given to the Nuggets. Zhan Huang jumped to his feet on the spot, shook his fist and roared, he asked to challenge this verdict, but Coach Hamm just put his hands in his pockets and his face was expressionless, isn't this obviously helping!
You might ask, how can the Lakers win the game when it's unfair? That's the great thing about James, he doesn't allow injustice to happen to him. Even though the world was optimistic about the Nuggets sweeping the Lakers 4-0, James insisted on dragging the game back on track. The victory of this game is not only a victory of basketball skills, but also a victory of will and spirit.
In the game, the Nuggets' strategy was clearly to try to use free throws to pull the score away. After all, they have led the Lakers 16 times in the first three free throws, and they have fewer fouls overall than the Lakers. However, even if it is such an injustice, James responds to all doubts and injustices in his own way. Every run he made on the court, every turn and jumper, was proving to people that age was just a number in front of him.
The Lakers' final victory is also a kind of irony for Coach Ham's hesitation. Ham has only challenged once in the entire series, which is not a lack of rhythm, but a misjudgment of the situation. Fortunately, James' persistence and self-redemption saved the game and left a glimmer of hope for the Lakers to advance. In the end, the Lakers told the world in a way that they guarded their self-esteem and honor: Even if the whole world is not optimistic, as long as we believe in it, there is a possibility of reversal.
See, that's the greatness of James, whether it's fighting the prejudice of age or beating unfair penalties, he always finds a way to put himself on the winning side. At the age of 40, he is still fearless on the basketball court, and he can still bring that surprise and emotion to the fans. Lao Zhan's story is far from over, and the story of the Lakers will continue to be written. Every win in this challenging playoff is not easy, but as long as James is around, there is hope. The real king never gives up easily!