The Lakers are headed to the In-Season Tournament Finals to face the Indiana Pacers after dominating the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89 in their semi-final matchup. Fans are ecstatic to see the Lakers advance, especially with LeBron James putting in a vintage performance.
Heading to the In-Season Tournament FINALS 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/D0OYz3fmED
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 8, 2023
Fans joked about LeBron playing like his version of the Miami Heat because $500,000 is on the line.
Lebron once he heard about that 500k pic.twitter.com/RO571XjbHU
— wok (@dontsipwok) December 8, 2023
Fans also joked about Michael Jordan fans feeling threatened by LeBron winning the In-Season Tournament and people using it for his GOAT argument.
LeBron is playing so well that Skip Bayless is currently tweeting out MJ’s basketball resume 😂
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) December 8, 2023
Fans were shocked to see LeBron look more athletic and faster than Zion Williamson, who is 16 years younger than James.
https://twitter.com/josh2saint/status/1732963260364951882
Fans joked about people who said the league was rigging the tournament for the Lakers.
I can't believe the league rigged this so LeBron would score 28 in less than three quarters to build a 19 point lead with a 13-10 free-throw disparity. Unbelievable.
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) December 8, 2023
Zion and Brandon Ingram’s failure to step up upset many fans.
Zion and BI should be ashamed of themselves
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) December 8, 2023
Some fans even made jokes about LeBron taking $500K from the likes of Jose Alvarado.
https://twitter.com/JoeDaActivlst/status/1732958140843405373
Some fans had actual analysis as well, pointing out that the Pelicans stood no chance because they have two non-shooters in their starting lineup.
I think this Lakers defense is elite already, but you just can't play two non shooters against us. Zion & JV gave us too much of an advantage defensively for AD & Bron to live in the paint.
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) December 8, 2023
LeBron James put up 30 points with five rebounds and eight assists in just 22 minutes of action, shooting 100% from three-point range and the free-throw line. Anthony Davis delivered in his role, letting LeBron handle the scoring on a night he had 16 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks. Austin Reaves also had a great night, leaving with 17 points, five rebounds, and seven assists off the bench.
The Pelicans looked like they had no hope offensively. Zion Williamson notched just 13 points while Brandon Ingram added just 9. Trey Murphy III had 14 off the bench and was the leading scorer on the night.
Can The Lakers Finish The Job In The Finals?
The Lakers will face the Indiana Pacers in the Finals of the In-Season Tournament on Saturday, a game that will not count for either team’s regular-season record. This game will be history-defining, as it decides the first-ever champion of the In-Season Tournament, a format that will likely stay in the NBA for years to come after a successful first season. Maybe we can ditch the courts next year though?
The Lakers have the veteran experience and a stronger roster than the Pacers, who eliminated the two biggest Eastern Conference threats in the Celtics and Bucks to make it to the Finals. Beating the Lakers is highly possible, especially if the sometimes offensively stagnant Lakers have a bad shooting night. Tyrese Haliburton is leading the most efficient offense in the NBA, so the Lakers’ defense will have to be mistake-free to put them away.
LeBron looks extremely motivated to win this tournament and add to his resume with a possible In-Season Tournament MVP and the first-ever title. It may not mean a lot when it comes to his GOAT case, but it does prove that James is still one of the best players in the world in Year 21 of his career.
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