The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers will meet in the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Championship on Saturday.
Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89 in Thursday’s semifinal in Las Vegas. Lebron James recorded 30 points and eight assists.
James scored 21 points in the first half as Los Angeles led 67-54 at the break.
James scored only three points in the first quarter before scoring 18 in the second.
James scored all the Lakers’ points during an 11-3 spurt to open the second quarter. He knocked down three 3-pointers and finished his personal run with a layup that gave Los Angeles a 40-33 lead with 9:23 remaining in the half.
Trey Murphy III scored 14 points and Zion Williamson added 13 for the Pelicans. Herbert Jones added 10 points and seven rebounds as New Orleans lost for the fourth time in its past seven games.
Austin Reaves had 17 points and seven assists, and Anthony Davis added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who won for the 11th time in their past 15 games.
Earlier on Thursday, The Indiana Pacers surprised the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 in the other semifinal.
Bruce Brown gave Indiana the lead for good with 6:15 remaining, Tyrese Haliburton capped a monster performance with a back-breaking 3-pointer, in a statement win for the Pacers.
Indiana led 63-51 at halftime but was down 106-105 approaching the midpoint of the fourth period after a Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk before Brown connected on his go-ahead 13-footer.
The Pacers never trailed after that, with Myles Turner contributing two baskets and two free throws, Brown another basket and four free throws, and Haliburton two baskets, including a 25-footer with 49.1 seconds remaining that extended the Indiana lead to 122-114.
Story By; Princeton Wiredu
