December 08, (THEWILL) – The Los Angeles Lakers are set to face the Indiana Pacers, in the final of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, on Saturday night, in Las Vegas. The Lakers booked their place with a dominant 133-89 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the semi-finals on Thursday, thanks to a 30-point haul from veteran superstar LeBron James.
James led the onslaught, scoring 21 points by half-time before being rested in the second half. Support came from Anthony Davis, (16 points, 15 rebounds) and role players Austin Reaves, (17 points) and Taurean Prince (15 points). The Lakers blitzed the Pelicans with a 40-33 second quarter, with James scoring his team’s first 11 points. He landed three consecutive three-pointers during his hot streak.
The Pacers also impressed in their semis, claiming a 128-119 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton starred with 27 points and 15 assists, while centre Myles Turner added 26 points. Haliburton nailed a crucial late three-pointer to seal the win. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 37 points and 10 rebounds could not prevent defeat for Milwaukee.
The tournament final will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. While earlier matches impacted teams’ regular season records, this championship game will be solely for the new in-season trophy. Both sides come into the decider in strong form.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham praised his team’s semi-final display but knows the job is not yet complete: “It’s still December, so I’m not getting too crazy about the whole thing. But, it [the final] is another game for us to get better, and we want to try to win.” The Pacers, meanwhile, are playing with confidence and momentum at just the right time.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
