The Los Angeles Lakers were playing for to take a 3-1 series lead, but they were definitely motivated to get a W on the same week of Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, as well as the day they honored him with a special edition “Black Mamba” jerseys. The Lakers did not allow for the Blazers to hijack the moment and they did everything, including jumping out to early leads of 15-0 and 30-10, to make sure they brought the win home in honor of Kobe.
Anthony Davis told USA TODAY’s Mark Medina that Bryant’s memory was a major motivation heading into last night’s Game 4.
“We just wanted to make sure that we did everything we could to get this win for him,” Davis said.
The Lakers also briefly held a 24-8 lead early in the first quarter, something that LeBron and several others watching believed was an early sign that the Lakers were going to win on Monday.
“I was like, OK, this is a sign,” James said. “He’s here in the building.”
The Lakers were most definitely in the building and they will be looking to close out the Blazers on Wednesday, to potentially earn themselves a little rest. Their potential second-round opponents, Oklahoma City, and Houston, will be going at least through Friday since last night’s Thunder win guaranteed a Game 6 in 4-5 series.
