D’Lo and Hill Billy Kobe took home equal credits for the Game 4 win. The Los Angeles Lakers were in all sorts of trouble, heading into Game 4 with a 0-3 record. While LeBron James promised to force Game 5, it wasn’t just his effort to break the shackles. Former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins pointed out the efforts of D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves that equally helped the Lakers end their 11-game adversity and also a victory.

During the ESPN post-game analysis, Perkins went into detail about Reaves & D’Lo’s efforts that changed the team’s fortune. He said, “It was trust… I looked at D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reeves and combined for 42 points. 21 points a piece. They were phenomenal.” Perkins further explained the necessity of the duo to perform better to cancel out the Nuggets roster barring Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

He added, “They’re going to have to cancel out the others on the Denver Nuggets… if those two could continue to contribute on a consistent basis… The Lakers definitely have a chance, making this a series.”

The Denver Nuggets have had the perfect starting lineup, especially against the Lakers. If not for tonight’s win, the Lakers would have lost 12 games in a row against the Nuggets in the last two seasons. And the Denver team’s roster speaks volumes about it. Except for Michael Porter Jr., everyone in the starting line-up has 50%FG. Porter usually covers it up with his three-pointers. Tonight, he dropped 27 points with 50% FG.  So the team just isn’t only about the Joker and Murray.

While LeBron James and Anthony Davis‘ consistent 25+ point outings match up with the Nuggets duo, they definitely need two other star campaigners to match up with the rest of the roster. Especially to contain Aaron Gordon, who averaged 18.4 points in the first three games. That’s where AR and D’Lo come into the picture.

The Austin Reaves-D’Angelo Russell effect

D’Angelo Russell had a hot and cold run in the season. But whenever he turned up his cylinders, the Lakers nearly crossed the line. In Game 1, he scored 13 points with a poor 1-9 FG from the arc and the team faced a 114-103 loss. After flooding criticisms, he turned up in Game 2 with 23 points which included 7 three-pointers.

Even though the Lakers didn’t win the game, it was just Jamal Murray‘s brilliant game-winning jumper that made the difference. Similarly, a ‘no show’ in Game 3 cost them an embarrassment and tonight, he shut down the critics with 21-point outing.

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On the other end, Austin Reaves, who had a poor outing in the first two games, turned up for the last two games with 22 and 21 points, respectively. Except for Rui Hachimura, the Lakers’ starting lineup scored 97 points, dominating the Nuggets with a complete team effort. Moreover, James once again dropped a positive message ahead of Game 5.

James said, “The only opportunity for us is to play the next game and give ourselves another lifeline… Monday’s game is the most important game of the season for us, and we know that. We know that.”

Will the Lakers force Game 6? Let us know in the comments below.