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Stephen Curry gifted Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker a signed jersey after their series wrapped up and the Golden State Warriors guard included a funny message.
Walker was a breakout star for the Lakers against the Warriors, making the most of his time back in the rotation. After averaging just four minutes per game against the Memphis Grizzlies — most of those coming in mop-up time — Walker emerged as a sparkplug for the Lakers against the defending champs.
Walker was the hero of Game 4, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to help guide the Lakers to a 104-101 victory and a dominant 3-1 series lead. Curry won’t soon forget that.
“To Lonnie, keep building! All love!” Curry signed, before adding a PS. “Will never forgive you for Game 4!”
Walker shared the photo of the signed jersey on his Instagram with a series of other photos with the caption: “Losses turn into pain, then they become advantages.”
The Walker-propelled win was a tipping point in the series, putting the pressure on Curry and the Warriors to claw back. They won Game 5 but the Lakers overwhelmed Golden State in Game 6 to seal the series.
Lonnie Walker on Heroics: ‘Greatest Feeling You Could Ever Imagine’
Walker is just 24 years old and is still trying to find his way in the NBA. He spent four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before signing with the Lakers this offseason. He was a starter early in the year with the Lakers struggling but spending some time on the bench appears to have served him well.
“The game ball definitely goes to him,” LeBron James said after the Game 4 win. “We don’t win without him.”
Walker admitted it wasn’t always easy to sit quietly in a minimal role but he continued to put in the work and was ready when his number was called.
“(It’s) the greatest feeling you could ever imagine. As a kid, this is something I’ve been dreaming of.”
As for the scoring, it’s something that’s always come naturally for Walker, who has a handful of 20-point games with the Lakers this season.
“I’m a scorer mentality first,” Walker said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself. I know what I’m capable of, and after a lot of sacrifice and a lot of time in the gym, the fruition finally came today.”
Lakers Next Challenge is the Top-Seeded Nuggets
The Lakers have battled past the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies and the defending champion Warriors. Next up for the Lakers is the Denver Nuggets, who hung on to the top seed in the Western Conference for most of the season.
“It’s gonna be a great series,” James said. “You got two well-coached teams. They been the number one seed in the West all year long. We give them a lot of respect.”
The matchup features two talented big men in two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Lakers star Anthony Davis. Jokic was on fire in the Nuggets’ second-round series against the Phoenix Suns, averaging 34.5 points, 10.3 assists and 13.2 rebounds.
Davis scattered in some inconsistency but was a beast on both end, averaging 21.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals.
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