Watch: Heated Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony Get Into It in Game 4

The Los Angeles Lakers are playing Portland in the first round of the series and things got really hot. The word “hot” doesn’t only describe the dominance LeBron James and Anthony Davis show on the floor. Something strange happened between Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony in the third quarter of the game. Punches, anyone?

The Lakers scored the first 15 points of the game and led by as many as 30 in the first half of Game 4. LeBron and Davis had a combined 40 points by halftime. The 17 fast-break points sure helped.

The Blazers will probably fall behind 3-1 in the series and we can feel their frustration. That’s probably the reason why Melo and Howard went that hard on each other. Both players have great games with their teams. The bubble gave them a chance to show their talent and they enjoy a resurgence of sorts.

Melo had several underwhelming seasons and had no home at the beginning of 2019-20. Portland wanted to give him a chance and signed him on Nov. 19. The veteran appreciated the chance and elevated his game. Portland enjoyed the offensive boost and things went really well. The Blazers are built differently this time and their offensive efforts are impressive.

Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony leveled up their performance

Howard was once the best big man in the league. He was dominant on the defensive end. In his first sting with the Lakers in the 2012-13 season, Howard turned into “a social pariah.”

Things changed and Howard is a key player now. His positive influence has helped the team score points. Howard has a reduced role off the bench. Lakers head coach Vogel likes his play. The Lakers defense needs to keep this pace or maybe even go higher than this.

Being a champion requires great practice and sharp skills. LA players have that and much more. Several veterans have playoff experience and that sure helps in the series. LeBron has never lost the first round. He doesn’t even think of changing that in his 17^th season.