LOS ANGELES – LeBron James has hailed the success of the inaugural National Basketball Association (NBA) in-season tournament so far, saying that it provides the thrills and spills that both players and fans enjoy.
On Dec 5, the superstar forward scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers won a gripping 106-103 home duel with the Phoenix Suns to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
James produced a trademark clutch fourth-quarter performance with 15 points in a victory that sends the Lakers into a last-four showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas on Dec 7.
In the other quarter-final, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 63 points as the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the other semi-final to face the Indiana Pacers with a 146-122 rout of the New York Knicks.
But the game of the night was unquestionably in Los Angeles, where James and the Lakers held off a ferocious second-half fightback from Kevin Durant and the Suns to prevail in a classic.
“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 had 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, represent our families, our communities, where we come from.”
The Lakers dominated the first half to lead by 12 at the break, when they were up 59-47.
But the Suns roared back in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 35-24 to make it a one-point game heading into the fourth period. The 38-year-old James, though, was in no mood to surrender victory and found his scoring touch to shepherd the Lakers over the line at Crypto.com Arena.
Austin Reaves nailed a superb three-pointer to give Los Angeles a four-point advantage with 15 seconds left on the clock.
Durant cut the gap to two points with a reverse lay-up, and the Suns were left furious when the referee granted a Lakers timeout when the ball appeared to be loose.
“It’s a loose ball, and you can’t call a timeout on a loose ball,” Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said.
“The whistle blows. I don’t know why. Everything in the league is reviewable. I don’t know why that can’t be reviewable...
“We got the trap, we got the turnover, (and the) damn whistle blows. It’s just frustrating.”
Anthony Davis then sank one of two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining, before Durant missed with a last-gasp attempted three-point buzzer-beater that would have forced overtime.
Durant, however, did not dwell on the timeout call and believed that the Suns, who lost for the third time in their past four games after a seven-game winning streak, should have played better anyway.
He said: “I don’t like to complain about calls. Sometimes the ref ain’t going to get it right all the time.
“Sometimes it’s on us to play through all that stuff and not worry about putting the game in the ref’s hands.”
James, meanwhile, was pleased with his ruthless fourth-quarter display. “I’ve been there a lot in my career and I understand the assignment,” he said.
“I was happy I was able to make a couple of plays, but the big shot came from AR (Reaves) to take us up by four... that was big time.”
Davis added 27 points with 15 rebounds, while Reaves had 20 points in a scintillating cameo from the bench.
Durant led Phoenix’s scoring, also with 31 points, while Grayson Allen and Devin Booker finished with 21 points apiece for the Suns.
“We didn’t do enough early in the game,” Vogel added.
“The turnovers (nine in the first quarter) and on the glass, if we do a better job, we’re not talking about a close game like that.” AFP, REUTERS
