LEBRON KEEPS LAKERS ALIVE

He scores 14 of 30pts in fourth quarter to close out Game 4 against the Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers, fuelled by 30 points from star LeBron James, gave themselves a lifeline in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs on April 27 with a 119-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Down 3-0 to the defending champions and facing elimination, the Lakers stood firm on their home floor, weathering a tripledouble from Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to send the series back to Denver for Game 5 on April 29.

After the Lakers let double-digit leads evaporate in losing each of the first three games, James scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to ensure it did not happen again.

"I love the fourth quarter," James said. "I understand it is closeout time and we haven't been able to do that versus this team through three games.

"So tonight I had an opportunity to do that and I wanted to deliver." The 39-year-old, who connected on six of eight shots in the final period, drew a charge and came up with a steal that he parlayed into a dunk at the other end.