Lonnie Walker's thrilling 4th quarter gives Lakers 3-1 lead - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Turning in a fourth-quarter offensive performance unmatched by a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant did it before he was even born, Lonnie Walker IV took over Game 4 of Los Angeles' second-round series against the Golden State Warriors.

Walker scored all 15 of his points in the fourth — becoming the first Laker with 15 points or more in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since Bryant did it 26 years ago to the day — and led the Lakers to a 104-101 win to put his team one win away from the Western Conference finals.

Walker went 6-for-9 in the closing frame, matching the field goals made by the entire Warriors team (6-for-17). No shot was bigger than his pull-up jumper with Stephen Curry guarding him with 1:53 remaining that put the Lakers up 100-99, a lead they would not relinquish.

«It just comes with a lot of confidence,» Walker said of the shot on Curry. «I made a couple of other shots prior to that, and I think my confidence was for sure at an all-time high.… It's probably a difficult shot for others, but it really isn't a difficult shot for me.»

When the final buzzer sounded, Walker, who had been mostly out of Lakers coach Darvin Ham's playoff rotation prior to Game 3 against the Warriors, collapsed to the floor — overwhelmed by the moment.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis quickly picked him up and embraced him before the entire team mobbed him to celebrate.

«The game ball definitely goes to him,» said James, who was also key in L.A.'s rally from down seven to start the fourth. «We don't win without him.»

L.A. immediately tied it up with a 7-0 run after the third-quarter break, with James finding Walker for a 3, then scoring himself, then finding Davis for a turnaround shot in the lane.

The 20-year veteran