The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Phoenix Suns for the fourth and final quarterfinal clash of the In-Season Tournament. An action-packed thriller from start to end, the contest went down to the wire. Ultimately, after the contest witnessed 11 lead changes & ties, LeBron James and Co. grabbed a huge 106-103 victory.
Dec 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his basket scored against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the In Season Tournament quarterfinal at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Playing in the absence of Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker had to step up big time. The All-Star duo recorded 52 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and put up 18 of the team’s 36 made field goals. However, the LeBron James-Anthony Davis tandem was too much for the Suns’ defense to handle. The forward pairing combined for 58 points, leading the Lakers to clinch a spot in the semifinals.
LeBron James has been one of the many superstars who has been extremely serious about winning the In-Season Tournament. Surprisingly, Skip Bayless lauded King James for considering this tournament important. However, it didn’t take long for the UNDISPUTED analyst’s detractor side to show.
Even though Bayless picked the Lakers to lift the NBA Cup, the 72-year-old made it pretty clear that he wouldn’t count the win as Bron’s 5th ring.
Lakers will win the inaugural In-Season Tournament. LeBron is taking it much more seriously than Giannis, who said after his game he’s not real happy about having to go to Vegas without his family on his bday. Lakers>Pacers for the Cup. But it WILL NOT COUNT as LBJ’s 5th ring.
LeBron James is two wins away from winning the $500,000 prize
LeBron James is the ultimate competitor. There were several players who were evidently not approaching the In-Season Tournament with any seriousness. However, the 6ft 9” forward has been extremely vocal expressing his desire to win the tournament.
Following the quarterfinal win over the Arizona side, LeBron reiterated himself. The future Hall-Of-Famer revealed his aspirations – winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
“It’s the inauguration… You got the greatest competitors in the world fighting for something so, let’s fight,” LeBron said during the postgame interview.
For a billionaire, $500,000 may not seem like a lot of money. However, it appears that it is good enough an incentive for LBJ to perform at his highest and help the Lakers win the In-Season Tournament. Two more wins and the four-time Most Valuable Player can add half a million dollars to his net worth.
On the flip side, Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t seemed all too motivated for the tournament. Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ quarterfinal win over the New York Knicks, the Greek Freak didn’t look all too kicked about going to Las Vegas.
That said, there is a huge possibility, judging by their recent form, that we witness LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo face off in the Finals. And admittedly, whether he is motivated about the $500,000 or not, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are likely to be very entertaining, should they make the Finals.
