LeBron James looked decidedly un-LeBron James-esque as the scorer for the first 47 minutes and 53 seconds of Monday’s Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. After making 26 shots in the restricted area during the first three games of the series, he only managed to reach that mark five times in the fourth. Prior to final possession of regulation, he had only attempted four shots in the quarter, and he had missed them all.
After two weeks of nonsense talk, it finally looked like they were about to pay off for the Grizzlies. They had held James to 5-of-15 shooting, stripped him of his best looks, and were on the verge of tying their first-round series with the Lakers at two games apiece, heading home for the crucial Game 5 .
But that’s not what ended up happening. With 6.7 seconds left, the Lakers provided a sideline for James, who raced past Xavier Tillman to bank in a tie with just under a second left in regulation. The Lakers won the game in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
This is all pretty standard James fare, right? Well, not exactly. The piece itself revolved around two moments. The first was a crucial decision by the Grizzlies. The second was a stroke of genius from James. So let’s go through the last offensive game of regulation for the Lakers and find out how James managed to pull off one of the greatest layups he’s made in purple and gold.
The key moment at the Memphis end of the equation came before the ball even entered. Dennis Schroder was the incoming passer, but the real action took place on the other side of the field. The game itself was relatively simple, designed strictly for James to get the ball to the top of the arc so he could make a decision. But the way the Lakers lined up suggests they expected a different game.
Austin Reaves is behind the 3-point line on the ring wing. James, on the other hand, sits a bit deeper than the right elbow. James annoyance Dillon Brooks defends Reaves. The taller Xavier Tillman is after James. As the game begins, James gestures as if he’s going to set up a screen for Reaves, who flashes in the right corner. James never makes contact and instead runs to Schroder to accept the pass.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Many teams take a strict “switch it all” approach to these late-game situations. The idea is to make sure no one can openly watch a jump shot, even if it means sacrificing a mismatch elsewhere on the floor. The Grizzlies, who certainly thoroughly scouted the Lakers’ SLOB (sideline out-of-bounds) approach before the series, knew that the Lakers have an end-of-game game designed specifically to make a corner 3 to create. They famously used it to win their first game of the season. Do you remember Matt Ryan?
The Lakers were pretty much tied on this game, though the deficit was two, not three. As James sets the soft screen, Rui moves Hachimura to set a screen for him. The design here would likely force the Grizzlies into a triple switch that would have resulted in Desmond Bane guarding James. That was a matchup the Grizzlies would never allow, but a more preemptive switch to that early play from Reaves could have gotten Brooks on James, even if he had to chase James through Hachimura’s screen – a manageable task, especially since James would have pleasure taken with a low-percentage three-pointer when he was desperate for a quick look. Instead, the Grizzlies chose not to switch anyone at all. Brooks stayed with Reaves when he and James switched places, so when James shot to the top of the key, it was Tillman who followed.
There are two elements of this decision that deserve discussion. The “switch all” approach is designed to thwart jumpers in situations where jumpers are probably all that is available. With one or two seconds left on the clock, players simply don’t have time to make layups. With 15 seconds left on the clock, matchups take priority. But 6.7 seconds? That’s a bit of a gray area. A ball handler can make a play if he acts fast enough. And of course James did.
Here’s the more interesting question: Which defender should Memphis have preferred to follow James between Brooks and Tillman? Brooks was James’ main defender in this series. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Still, the numbers are clearly in favor of Tillman in this series, notably. Over three games, James shot 14 of 23 from the floor with Brooks as his primary defenseman and only 7 of 17 against Tillman. James also wrestled Tillman in Game 4. He often found Tillman switching to him after fencing, only to settle for jumpers or pass the ball to a team member.
The final decision here is a matter of priority. Brooks is smaller and slightly faster. He would have an easier time getting ahead of James riding downhill, but that sacrifice in size meant that James would more easily blast over Brooks if he settled for a jumper. Tillman is only 2.5 cm taller, but has a wingspan of 2.20 metres. Brooks has a wingspan of only 6-6. Had James simply dribbled out the clock and made a possible game-winning 3, Tillman would have harassed James more by getting a hand in his face. On a ride, however, James would have a little easier time getting past him.
James eventually did, albeit by just a hair. This was an opportunity Memphis was prepared for. Years Jackson Jr. was the top edge protector in the NBA this season, so once he was sure James couldn’t dump the ball to Davis at the dunker’s spot, he launched into the ball. If James was any other ball handler, Jackson might have turned a split second sooner. But he had to reckon with Davis. That gave James just enough air space to finish the layup cleanly. Of course, no layup is truly “clean” in the presence of the Defensive Player of the Year. A typical layup is knocked out and the game ends then and there. This is where 20 years of experience really pays off for James and the Lakers.
See where the ball is when it hits the backboard. Knowing that Jackson is capable of blocking the ball at almost any other angle, James somehow manages to deflect the ball off the absolute top of the backboard using only his fingertips without sacrificing any accuracy . The ball barely squeaks past Jackson’s outstretched hand and sets in for the tie.
This is a combination of reflexes, agility and basketball IQ that few basketball players have ever had. It requires absolutely perfect timing, and James nailed it. After struggling to get to the basket for an entire game, James pulled this jewel from his bag of tricks to save the day, and as he explained after the game, it’s not just a game he practices specifically for defenders like Jackson, but it is one he has used against similar rivals.
“I’m working on several layup packages,” James explained. “Tier 1 is a layup that’s actually right under the edge where you lay it off the glass. Tier 2 is like the center of the glass or the center of the square. Tier 3 is over the top of the square. Shot out Unpleasant [trainer] Chris Johnson. We are working on that depending on the shot blocker. I’ve had moments where I could score those high layups. One that comes to mind is, I don’t remember what final it was, but in Golden State I could drive to the right, hold the ball in my right hand, and shovel it underhand over KD.
It’s an encouraging sign for a Laker team that has struggled to generate half-court offenses throughout this streak. James, dealing with the ravages of time and a foot injury that will likely require foot surgery, can’t be his old self for entire matches. At this point, it’s not even clear if he can stay there for an entire quarter. But on Monday, the Lakers got confirmation that James can still summon his old self when they need it most. Stealing the win was important. But that bit of knowledge was absolutely essential if this team is to have any chance of winning the championship.