Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, helping his side to beat the Phoenix Suns 106-103 and claim the last semifinal place in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. Good support from his teammates Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves powered the Lakers to clinch victory in the final minutes. Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds while 25-year-old Reaves scored 20. The top-seeded Lakers will take on New Orleans in the semifinals on December 8, Friday in Las Vegas. In another semifinal, the Milwaukee Bucks will face Indiana Pacers.
You’ve got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful or an incentive, then you get what you’re getting, said James, who also racked up 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. The In-Season Tournament is what it is, and we have an opportunity to play on a big stage, be on national television, and represent our families, our communities, and where we come from, the 38-year-old American added.
James put on a spectacular shooting effort in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of the Lakers’ first 19 points and assisting on his teammates’ other two baskets as Los Angeles moved ahead. Kevin Durant scored 31 points for the Suns, but he missed a deep 3-point shot at the buzzer. Booker and Grayson Allen scored 21 points apiece for the Suns. Phoenix Suns have won eight of ten games before falling to Los Angeles for the third time this season.
With 29 seconds left, Devin Booker trimmed the Lakers’ lead to 102-101, but Reaves answered with his third 3-pointer with just 15 seconds left in the game. Following another layup by Durant, the Suns were enraged when officials granted James’ request for a timeout while the ball appeared to be loose since Booker had knocked it away from Reaves an instant earlier.
Bradley Beal missed his 11th straight game for the Suns due to a recurring back issue, but the team held on despite committing 22 turnovers and their two healthy superstars struggling with foul trouble. Booker received his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, while Durant began the fourth quarter with four fouls and committed his fifth with 3:18 remaining. The Suns trailed by 15 in the first half, then scored 14 consecutive points out of halftime to take a lead but failed to continue with that advantage and secure a win.
