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The Lakers are the NBA In-Season Tournament Champions

Sara Jane Gamelli 7316 December 10, 2023 No Comments

Written and edited by

Sara Jane Gamelli

The Los Angeles Lakers have won the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament, defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109. Future Hall of Famer LeBron James was named MVP

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 09: (L-R) Rui Hachimura #28, LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate with the trophy after the team's 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers to win the championship game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Members of the Los Angeles Lakers are one pay check richer, and have possession of the first ever "NBA Cup." While both Indiana and Los Angeles earned their first trip to Las Vegas, it was the Lakers that secured the win. With such a unique opportunity, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed just how valuable they are to the Lakers organization. For Laker fans, all they've known is winning, since the franchise is tied with the Boston Celtics for 17 banners. With the court at a neutral site, many Lakers fans were in attendance to capture the special victory.

While Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, it was LeBron James who took away the NBA In-Season Trophy MVP trophy. Known to ball out on the biggest stage, James finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 35 minutes of action. While many remember Michael Jordans "flu game," this time, guard Austin Reaves was feeling under the weather. While this isn't the NBA Finals, Reaves finished with an impressive 28 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 28 minutes. With Reaves the only productive player off the bench, all five Lakers starters were positive on the court. Reaves production certainly took a tiny bit of pressure of James and Davis.

Anthony Davis had a shaq-like performance

The Pacers truly had a spectacular run, making their first ever tournament finals. While the Pacers have never won a championship, Tyrese Haliburton expressed his desire and excitement over the possibility of winning a trophy. Although the Pacers fell short of that goal, the duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James was overwhelming. In fact, Anthony Davis had facial expressions we've never seen before. Perhaps after being doubted so many times, the Lakers are out for blood.

The duo was so spectacular, coach Ham compared Davis and James to two former NFL Stars. "LeBron is our Tom Brady on offense, Anthony Davis is our Ray Lewis. He anchors our defense, he plays middle linebacker, he communicates, he does all of that." And with that said, the duo are certainly propelling the Lakers success this season.

Surprisingly, the Lakers only attempted 13 long range shots, in which they hit 15 % of them. With the Pacers ranked as the top offensive team, Los Angeles attacked and exposed their biggest weakness. They attacked downhill, and outscored Indiana 86-44 in the paint. With the NBA so heavily focused on three-point shooting, this came at a bit of a surprise to me. 86 points in the paint? I can't remember the last time i've seen a team so dominant below. To be honest, it's quite refreshing.

LeBron and AD were dynamic in the paint

For Anthony Davis, he was aggressive as head coach Darvin Ham could ask for. Double teamed, in transition, Davis was everywhere on the court. For Davis and LeBron, it was about executing mismatch and post ups in the paint. Once leading by 16 points, the Lakers maintained a majority of the leade shortly after the start of the first quarter. To showcase paint dominance, 6-45 combined shot attempts from Davis and LeBron came outside the paint. While the Pacers are an extremely well-oiled machine offensively, the paint was left wide open on several occasions.

Often rolling to the basket, Davis looked elite in his tournament debut. While the IST finals don't technically count in the standings, AD would now have 12 straight games with a double-double. For Reaves, his 17 first half points were monumental. Like the Warriors have the "splash brothers" with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, James and Davis were the ultimate "paint brothers." LeBron James even described Davis's performance as "Shaq-like" post game.

Anthony Davis made it known while winning the tournament is special, the Lakers have their eye on the Lombardi trophy come June.  "This is special for us, said Davis. "Just winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament, but we want to also win the same thing in June.”

The Pacers struggled offensively

While it was rare to see the Pacers struggle offensively, they were held to just 36.8 % from the field and 24.4 % from three-point range. Tyrese Haliburton, who has risen to stardom, struggled especially from long distance. The Pacers guard tied Bennedict Mathurin for a team high 20 points, 11 assists, one steal, block, and rebound. After watching Haliburton scorch the Celtics and the Bucks in rounds prior, the Lakers used a rather aggressive approach, limiting Haliburton to just 7 first half points.

Overall, the NBA In-Season Tournament told a story of two teams with different play styles. The Lakers had the clear cut size advantage, while the Pacers continued their ruthless three-point shooting and high pace play. I will say, while Rick Carlisle's team doesn't play stellar defense, it definitely showed on the biggest stage in Vegas. As mediocre as the Lakers have been the last few seasons, we know one thing, LeBron James knows how to win in the spotlight.

The Lakers once again take another trophy home, while the Pacers got a slight taste of playoff type basketball. With both teams currently ranked as the No. 5 seed in the Western and Eastern Conference, they will face off two more times in March. As for LeBron James, he officially has every trophy and award you can think of during his 21 seasons in the NBA. For a player thats 38 years old, his ability to still dominate and play basketball at such a high level has been on full display. While coach Ham stated the Lakers "needed this," Los Angeles will try to build off their recent momentum as the season progresses.

Along with his MVP trophy, LeBron didn't shy away from his love for Las Vegas. He's been vocal about his post career plans, and didn't hold back. “My enthusiasm about being here post-career, bringing a team here has not changed,” James told the media. “The fans are amazing here."

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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