NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 4 Injury Updates, Lineups and Predictions
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The Los Angeles Lakers face the Portland Trail Blazers tonight in Game 4 of the first round of the Playoffs. After losing the first game, the Lakers bounced back with two wins to go 2-1 up in the series. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have finally started to live up to the favorites tag.
The Blazers lost Zach Collins to an ankle injury last week, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. After missing most of the regular season, Collins had been vital to the Blazers’ dominant run in the seeding games. Losing him now was an enormous blow.
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His replacement, Wenyen Gabriel, is an exciting player, but he could not provide the same impact as Collins. After playing over 15 minutes in the first two games, he was restricted to less than five minutes in Game 3.
With no new injuries, their lineup should stay the same. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to start as the guards, Carmelo Anthony as the sole forward and Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic as the two centers to complete the double big man lineup.
Can the Los Angeles Lakers carry their form into Game 4?
After getting healthier and inching closer to recovery, Rajon Rondo has again taken a step back. Mike Trudell from Spectrum SportsNet reported that Rondo tweaked his back during the warm-up and is listed as doubtful again.
The Lakers have had an unchanged lineup in all their games so far, and it should be the same tonight. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green as the guards, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the forwards and JaVale McGee as the center.
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With back-to-back wins, momentum is with the Lakers. They have finally started shooting efficiently, something they struggled with in the seeding games. They have also defended well, especially against the Blazers’ dangerous duo of Lillard and McCollum.
The Lakers will wear the “Black Mamba” jerseys to commemorate ‘Mamba Day’ in honor of Kobe Bryant. So not only do they have momentum on their side, but they will also have the memory of their teammate motivating them tonight.
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Playoff LeBron looks as dangerous as ever, and Davis has undergone a transformation since the first game. This duo has been too hot to handle for the Blazers and they cannot find an answer for them.
One cannot count out Lillard, but the Lakers have too much in their arsenal and should walk away with a victory tonight.
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