LA Lakers one game away from NBA championship after beating Miami in Game 4 thriller

LeBron James is just one game away from another NBA championship after the Lakers beat Miami in a Game 4 thriller.

The Lakers are on the verge of a championship.

The LA Lakers are one win away from the franchise’s 17th championship after beating Miami in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

LeBron James and Co. rebounded from a loss in Game 3 to beat the Heat 102-96 and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Watch every single game of the The NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN with Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

Leading by six points with less than a minute to play, Anthony Davis sealed the result with his second three-pointer of the match.

He followed that up with a clutch block on Jimmy Butler at the other end of the floor as he and partner in crime James led the way for the Lakers.

Davis finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks while James fell just shy of a triple-double, stuffing the stat sheet with 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Butler couldn’t repeat his Game 3 heroics but was still one of Miami’s best as he poured in 22 points to go with 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Gun rookie Tyler Herro was also immense, clocking 21 points and seven rebounds but the Heat pairing was overrun by Davis and James.

Davis was on a mission.

Humbled by Miami in game three on Monday (AEDT), James and the Lakers came roaring back in a hard-fought defensive battle that was finely balanced until Los Angeles pulled away in the closing minutes.

The Lakers 3-1 can clinch the championship with victory in Game 5 in Orlando on Saturday (AEDT).

An attritional contest saw defences on top throughout, with Miami containing the threat of James and Davis for long periods.

James in particular struggled to generate his usual rhythm throughout the first half, giving up five turnovers and scoring just eight points.

The Lakers looked to have built a head of steam towards the end of the first quarter, edging into a 27-22 lead after a Kyle Kuzma three-pointer and a driving lay-up from Alex Caruso.

But Miami responded swiftly at the start of the second quarter, transforming a five-point deficit into a 33-29 lead after Jae Crowder’s three-pointer.

The Lakers edged ahead in the third quarter and it was Davis’ first bomb from 28 feet that put the Lakers seven points clear with two minutes left in the third.

The Los Angeles big man closed the quarter with four free throws to leave the Lakers five points clear heading into the fourth.

The Lakers maintained that advantage for much of the fourth quarter. Tyler Herro’s three-point jump shot cut the Lakers lead to one point at 76-75, but three free throws from Markieff Morris followed by a superb fade-away from James stretched the Los Angeles cushion to six points midway through the fourth.

Butler raised Miami’s hopes after tying it at 83-83, but the Lakers pulled away with Caldwell-Pope’s three-pointer transition followed by a layup to make it 95-88 with two minutes left on the clock.

Rondo Rajon’s layup was then followed by a Davis crucial three-pointer with 39.5 seconds left which effectively sealed the win.

— with AFP