LeBron James’ masterclass leads Lakers to brink of NBA Cup: ‘He played like he wanted it’ https://t.co/fS88tcfWBv
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) December 8, 2023
LAS VEGAS — Within the opening seconds of the In-Season Tournament semifinals, LeBron James sent a clear message: He wasn’t going to let the Lakers lose.
James, defended by New Orleans Pelicans defensive ace Herb Jones, screened for D’Angelo Russell out of a horns set and rolled to the rim. James pinned Jones on his backside and caught a high-low pass from Anthony Davis. He scored on an easy layup, drawing the foul for an and-1, before flexing his traps as he mean-mugged the roaring crowd.
The opening sequence was a harbinger of James’ 30-point, eight-assist, five-rebound, zero-turnover masterclass — all in just 22 minutes and 32 seconds. He might have been dancing before the game, but that carefree nature disappeared as soon as the ball was tipped.
The 38-year-old put on a show in the city where he hopes to own an NBA franchise one day, spearheading the Lakers’ 133-89 win Thursday over the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. The game marked the Lakers’ largest margin of victory since a 55-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011.
“Extraordinary. Otherworldly. One-of-one. He is the ultimate tone-setter,” head coach Darvin Ham said of James’ performance.
With the win, Los Angeles improved to 14-9 and 6-0 in the In-Season Tournament with a monster point differential of plus-121 — an average margin of victory of 20.2 points per game. They will play the Indiana Pacers, who beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 earlier Thursday, in the championship game on Saturday evening.
Despite James being the oldest player on the floor and in his 21st season, with the most minutes logged in NBA history, the consensus opinion from both the Lakers and Pelicans afterward was that no one wanted to win this game more than him.
“He played like he wanted it,” Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III said. “That was the bottom line. He played like he really wanted to win these games and win this NBA Cup, so hat’s off to him.”
James became the first player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes or fewer. He also played the fewest number of minutes any Laker has played while logging at least 30 points.
He sliced the Pelicans with efficiency, making nine of 12 shots. The Lakers outscored the Pelicans by 36 points with James on the floor, a team-best mark.
Initially, he took a back seat within the offense, with the aforementioned and-1 his only three points of the first quarter. But he quickly erupted to start the second quarter, making three straight 3-pointers within 61 seconds and scoring the Lakers’ first 11 points of the quarter.
“It’s impressive to watch him just turn it to another gear in these big games,” Russell said. “Honestly, he can shoot it better. He’s faster. He’s more athletic. He’s not getting tired. I just don’t understand. But it’s impressive to watch from the outside looking in.”
All told, James scored a season-high 18 points in the quarter, helping the Lakers turn a one-point first-quarter deficit into a 13-point halftime lead. The flurry got the pro-Lakers crowd buzzing and seemed to flip the direction of the game.
“You saw LeBron on full display,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said. “He understands these moments.”
James’ defense was arguably more impressive, as he orchestrated the Lakers’ coverages from the backline alongside Davis and ended up taking three charges, including one against Zion Williamson, who’s 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds.
That effort and sacrifice didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.
“Any time your best player sacrifices his body … especially with Zion coming down the paint, it sets a tone,” Austin Reaves said. “That shows to everybody else how locked in he is to win this.”
When playfully asked by a reporter whether he’s too old to be taking charges in December games, James replied, “Listen, not for that ($500,000), I ain’t.”