Sports
Game 4 takeaways: Lakers finally met Nuggets' force with force
Here are five takeaways from the Lakers’ 119-108 win against Denver in Game 4:
Maybe soon but not today
The Lakers staved off elimination by playing their most complete game of the playoffs in a wire-to-wire win against the Nuggets. For the fourth straight game, they led by double digits, but for the first time against Denver, they held that lead.
“We knew they were going to make a couple of runs, a prideful, championship team. … We had some unfortunate fouls, some unfortunate turnovers. But we kept the scoreboard moving as well, which you have to,” coach Darvin Ham said. “You’re not going to shut anyone down completely for the entire game so you just have to be prepared for that onslaught and make sure you’re doing what you need to do and meeting force with force. Force them into tough situations. And if it doesn’t work out, move on to the next play and go try to go back at them.”
After disastrous second halves in the previous three games, the Lakers were only a minus-2 in the second half Saturday, withstanding every Denver push with consistent and organized offense and just enough defense.
“We know. We’ve talked about it,” LeBron James said. “We’ve been talking about it. It’s something that’s been an Achilles’ heel for us all season, coming into the third quarter with some energy and understanding that teams want to try to make that run when the second [half] happens. So we talked about it again tonight and we were able to fix it. And it goes with more than just talking about it. You got to go out and be about it as well. And we did that.”
The win came as scrutiny about Ham’s future increased significantly with the Lakers’ dropping the first three games to Denver, extending a streak to 11 straight before Saturday’s win.
While the Game 4 win kept the season alive, it’s merely a step.
“We won this game,” James said. “That was the most important, but now we got to start focusing on the next one. So, it’s not like we lose the next one and then it would be 12-1 in the last 13 games. We want to try to make that not happen.
“We want to continue to try to play good basketball and focus on our next task. Our next task, like I said, is Monday’s game and we’ll see what happens.”
AD’s A-plus
Anthony Davis had his best game of the series, a 25-point, 23-rebound, six-assist performance while playing a more disciplined style on the defensive end.
“Totally just dominant. Dominant,” Ham said of Davis. “Just the way he’s been on the glass, changing shots, got a helluva matchup with Joker [Denver’s Nikola Jokic]. Just his focus, being that defensive catalyst, communicating.”
Offensively, Davis attacked more forcefully and, for the first time this series, played with more continuous energy than Jokic, who still had a triple-double.
“I’m in a good rhythm, just how we’re playing,” Davis said. “Just playing in the flow, not really forcing anything, just letting the game kind of come to me. A lot of pick and rolls, stuff around rim, if I get some isolations, trying to be aggressive. If I see an open floor if I get a rebound, pushing it. Being aggressive in those moments.”
LeBron late
Despite strong numbers throughout the series, James at times has had uneven performances on the defensive end. Aaron Gordon, in particular, was a thorn in his side in Game 3, with 29 points, beating James backdoor when his energy shifted to another attacker.
On Saturday, Gordon was a non-factor with James more energetic on the defensive end.
And in the fourth quarter, James had another great quarter, making six of eight shots from the field to lead all fourth-quarter scorers.
“Well, they’re going to make adjustments. They’re a great team. They’re super-well-coached,” James said. “We have to be able to counter their attacks but also come in with the same mindset that we have to sustain our effort, we have to sustain our energy. We’re here to do that. Keep attacking. And try to keep them [at bay] in the things that we can control, like fast-break points. We only gave up 12 tonight to them. We only gave up five second-chance points. And also at the same time, we only gave up nine offensive rebounds.”
The others have their night
Gabe Vincent hit a big three. Taurean Prince attacked the rim. The two of them played key fourth-quarter minutes.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell reacts alongside LeBron James during their Game 4 victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Rui Hachimura finished at the rim. Austin Reaves attacked. And D’Angelo Russell, after a miserable Game 3, bounced back in Game 4.
“Obviously, our offense was clicking better than it has been in the last three games,” Reaves said. “And I think everybody in the starting lineup besides me shot 50% or better from the floor. So that’s always a recipe for success. And then, obviously, always playing off LeBron and AD. They relieve so much pressure because coaches and teams are always so worried about them, then we can really be ourselves.”
For Russell, it’s his second strong bounce-back game of the series, the key being to not have another off night.
“We found a way to score and get stops and then at some point we stopped getting good looks, stopped putting the ball in the hole, and then they find a way within their system to continue to be efficient and get good quality shots,” Russell said. “For us, that’s something we struggle with. For us to focus on it this game to continue to get good shots, to continue to push the pace, it’s something that happens, keep going, next play mentality. We kept the pace in the game up and I think it played in our favor.”
Still room to grow
The Lakers, like Denver, still haven’t really had a top-notch shooting night from three. And, despite Nuggets coach Michael Malone pointing out the Lakers’ free-throw edge this season, Denver has won that battle in each of the last three games of the series.
Jamal Murray still hasn’t fully caught fire, and Saturday the Lakers’ defense still gave Denver some great looks after mistakes. Yet for the first time in what feels like forever, Denver missed a bunch of those shots.
“We’ve got a lot of good stuff to look at in film and just have to be even better, even more perfect,” Ham said.
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The Atlanta Falcons did not have to do much thinking about their future when their season ended Sunday.
The team did not even wait for Black Monday, as it fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night.
The Falcons hired Morris ahead of the 2024 season, selecting him over candidates such as Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Macdonald and Ben Johnson.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
But Morris’ results were not what the Falcons wanted, going 8-9 in back-to-back seasons.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Wildly enough, the team’s record is the same as the division champion Carolina Panthers’, so the Falcons were just one win away from making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. One of those losses was to the New York Jets, who would have had the first pick in 2026 instead of the second if that game’s result had been reversed.
Atlanta wound up winning their final four games, but it was not enough for them, or Morris and Fontenot.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
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Morris previously served as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator, winning a Super Bowl with them. He held numerous roles with the Falcons before going to Los Angeles, including serving as their interim head coach in 2020.
Morris initially replaced Arthur Smith, who served as the team’s head coach for three seasons. Smith is now the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who would make the playoffs with a win Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
Perhaps the Falcons are kicking themselves for choosing Morris over several others. Vrabel won the AFC East in his first season with the New England Patriots, Johnson won the NFC North in his first year with the Chicago Bears, and Harbaugh is back in the playoffs with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, center, stands with his team while wearing an Apalachee High School T-shirt after a recent school shooting there before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
There should be several names available to the Falcons, who are desperate to make the most of Michael Penix Jr., who will enter his third NFL season in September.
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DENVER — The game was the understudies versus the underwhelmings.
The second-string Chargers against the … wait a second, the top-seeded Denver Broncos only generated 240 yards and failed to score an offensive touchdown?
Such is the AFC this season, filled with teams who flash one week and fizzle the next.
Sunday’s regular-season finale — which the Broncos won, 19-3 — was far more competitive than it should have been, especially considering the lopsided incentives.
Whereas the Chargers were playing for pride and only modestly consequential postseason seeding, Denver’s stakes were two miles high: a free pass to the second round, and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.
How unsettling that the Chargers could even make the game interesting, having rested 14 starters, including Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Chargers now turn their attention to a first-round game at the 14-win New England Patriots, who have averaged 34.4 points in the five games since the beginning of December, on Sunday at 5 p.m. PST.
It’s another opportunity for Herbert to notch his first playoff victory. In his six seasons, the Chargers have had two one-and-done appearances — an epic collapse at Jacksonville in the 2022 season and a four-interception loss at Houston last season.
“With the way he’s played this season, this could be a breakthrough,” receiver Keenan Allen said. “Everything we want is still right in front of us.”
Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II catches a pass against Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke during the first half Sunday.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
That’s not exactly true. Allen reeled in two hefty items on his wish list. He needed nine more receiving yards for a $250,000 contract bonus, and six more receptions for a $750,000 payout. He finished with seven catches for 36 yards — jackpot!
“It’s nice to get that out of the way,” he said, smiling broadly.
Allen was one of the few seasoned Chargers veterans to set foot on the field. Watching from the sidelines were offensive starters Herbert, Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and the entire starting offensive line.
So backup quarterback Trey Lance, making a rare start, had a collection of blockers that was even more hodgepodge than usual — and going up against the NFL’s sack leaders, no less. The Broncos came into the game with a club-record 64 sacks.
They got to Lance four times, and although that might be impressive, the Chargers collected four sacks of their own, two by backup defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia.
“That was dope,” star edge rusher Khalil Mack said of the performance by second-stringers.
Mack sat out, as did All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr., linebacker Daiyan Henley and safety Elijah Molden. All will be back for the Patriots game.
The Chargers have beaten the Patriots in their last two meetings, including a 6-0 win two years ago in Foxborough. This is the first time the teams have played with these head coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel.
“That’s the kind of game that defines your season,” Harbaugh said. “Our focus and attention is on that.”
Sunday’s game was a foregone conclusion before kickoff. Yes, the Chargers were 5-0 against AFC West opponents, but their primary aim was to stay fresh for the playoffs.
The Broncos, meanwhile, were so laser-focused on securing that No. 1 seed that coach Sean Payton instructed the videoboard operators to scrap the goofy games during breaks in the action. He wanted the crowd thinking about decibels, not distractions.
Denver running back RJ Harvey is tackled by Chargers defenders during the second half Sunday.
(C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
From the start, Denver looked on track. On their first possession, the Broncos drove from their 13 to the Chargers’ six, setting up the first of four field goals by Wil Lutz.
Who would have suspected that, after those 81 yards, Denver’s offense would generate only 31 more the rest of the half?
Put simply, Denver is a weird team. The Broncos have trailed in 12 of their 14 wins, and this was the second time this season they won without scoring an offensive touchdown. Naturally, there were incentives Sunday to staying as vanilla as possible on offense as not to reveal more to future opponents, although this is a team that already has put 17 games on video.
This game was either an offensive stinker or a defensive masterpiece, depending on your perspective.
Both quarterbacks led their team in rushing. Lance completed 20 of 44 passes for 136 yards with an interception. Denver’s Bo Nix was 14 of 23 for 141 yards.
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Top Milwaukee Brewers prospect Frank Cairone was hospitalized after being involved in a serious car accident near his New Jersey home on Friday, the team announced.
“Frank is currently being cared for at a hospital in New Jersey with the support of his family,” read a statement from the team, via MLB.com. “The Brewers’ thoughts and prayers are with Frank and his family during his difficult time.”
Pitcher Frank Cairone (left) with Green Valley High School (NV) infielder Caden Kirby during the MLB Draft Combine high school baseball game at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The left-handed pitcher turned 18 this past September. He was drafted out of Delsea Regional High School in Franklinville, N.J. at No. 68 overall in the 2025 Draft.
News of the Brewers’ young prospect’s accident came shortly after the team announced it was not in contact with several players in Venezuela after U.S. military strikes in the country and the capture of its President Nicolás Maduro.
MLB TEAM UNAWARE OF STATUS OF PLAYERS IN VENEZUELA AFTER US MILITARY STRIKES
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (11) is seen before the fifth inning of an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Toronto Blue Jays on August 31, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold revealed the team is unaware of the status of the players in a statement Saturday.
“We don’t have much info at the moment but are trying to follow up,” Arnold said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We know the airports have been shut down but not much beyond that.”
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Pitcher Frank Cairone during the MLB Draft Combine high school baseball game at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The team’s players in Venezuela include star outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Andruw Monasterio and catcher Jeferson Quero, according to the outlet.
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