The Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada for the NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals. The Lakers handled their business and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89. Lakers’ Head Coach Darvin Ham spoke postgame about his team’s intensity and the team’s win.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see this early,” Ham said. “I think the intensity that this tournament brings reveals that because it’s not just a regular-season game. It doesn’t feel like that. The stakes are way higher and you see people in those delicate moments what they are truly made of, at least the beginning stages.”
LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 30 points. James scored his 30 on 9-for-12 shooting. He knocked down 4-for-4 from the three-point line. James knocked down 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out eight assists. At halftime, James scored 21 points on 7-for-9 shooting. There was also a stretch in the game when he knocked down 3 three-pointers in a row. He did all of this in only 23 minutes of play. James spoke postgame about the Lakers’ win and the way his team is hitting their stride.
“I think we are starting to get a feel for what we need to become a team for us to win basketball games, to be consistent,” James said. “Defensively, we’re really, really starting to tap into that like, OK, we’ve got to defend every single night. When we defend, we give ourselves a chance to win every night.”
More Lakers Contributions
- Anthony Davis scored 16 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out five assists, and recorded two steals.
- Taurean Prince scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds.
- D’Angelo Russell scored 14 points and grabbed three rebounds.
- Austin Reaves scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out seven assists off the bench.
- Rui Hachimura scored 12 points and dished out two assists off the bench.
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals on Saturday, 12/8/23. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/ 5:30 p.m. Pacific and the game will air nationally on ABC.
