LAKERS WIN INAUGURAL NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT, MVP JAMES IS CROWNED CHAMPION

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers have been crowned the inaugural champions of the NBA’s in-season tournament.The Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the finals of the 2023-2024 NBA In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday.With the victory, the Lakers lifted the in-season trophy, a cup competition introduced for the first time this season.The Lakers won all seven games they played in the tournament to win the “sweep.” The Lakers entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference’s Group A with a four-game winning streak and defeated the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans to reach the finals.The in-season tournament consisted of 30 teams divided into six groups, with the best eight teams advancing to a single-elimination tournament to determine the winner.All but the finals were played in the regular season, with the Pacers earning $500,000 (about $650 million) per player for the championship, and Indiana earning $200,000.Lakers big man Anthony Davis was the star performer with 41 points and 20 rebounds.”King” LeBron James also contributed to the win with 24 points and 11 rebounds.The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award went to James for his consistent performance throughout the tournament.In accepting the award, James was full of praise for his junior, saying, “Davis dominated the big game with over 40 points, over 20 rebounds, and several blocks and steals.”

Both teams’ perimeter shooters, who have combined to shoot over 30 percent from 3-point range this season (Pacers 34.3 percent, Indiana 38.1 percent), went cold.By the third quarter, the Pacers were shooting 8.3 percent and Indiana was shooting 25.9 percent.The Pacers, led by Davis and James’ strong scoring under the basket, took a 10-point lead into the final minute of the third quarter.Benedict McAdoo and T.J. McKinnon were at the center of Indiana’s comeback, however, as McAdoo hit a three-point buzzer-beater in the third quarter to pull the Pacers within 82-90.Early in the fourth quarter, the gap narrowed dramatically to three points, 89-92, on a layup by Masserin, a three-pointer by Obi Topin, and a steal by McConnell.But Indiana could not overcome the Lakers’ dominance under the basket.With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Davis had 20 rebounds and James had 10. By that point, Indiana’s total rebounding total equaled their combined 30.The Pacers, who were scoring more consistently, went on a run to make it 115-99 after Davis scored 10 straight points, including six free throws, midway through the fourth quarter.Indiana, on the other hand, had a tougher time getting to the basket after center Myles Turner was ejected with six fouls with 4:09 left.The Hoosiers brought in all of their starters with just 카지노사이트킹 over a minute left, effectively raising the white flag.