The Lakers walked out of the In-Season Tournament quarterfinal with a 103-106 win over the Suns which was marred by referee mistakes at the end of the game. Nonetheless, LeBron James had a sensational night to lead the Lakers to the win. Fans are having a mixed reaction to the game, as the mistakes at the end have taken away from the closely-fought contest.
Suns fans were not happy about the referees giving the Lakers a timeout in crunch time when nobody had possession.
LMAO ADAM SILVER JUST SENT THE LAKERS TO VEGAS HIMSELF!!!!!!!
HOW TF CAN YOU CALL TIMEOUT WHEN NOBODY HAD POSSESSION
— Brandon Awadis (@brawadis) December 6, 2023
The referees also failed to call a transition take foul before the timeout, enraging more fans.
Terrible missed calls on the take foul and it got one-upped by that timeout being given.
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) December 6, 2023
Re-examining the botched timeout call shows the referees made a clear mistake and fans weren’t going to let it go.
The ball was DEFINITELY loose. I don't see how the referees grant a timeout here. pic.twitter.com/ZlaxGXpCx6
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) December 6, 2023
Austin Reaves is overcoming a slow start to the season, with fans who hated on him celebrating him after he hit a clutch three-pointer.
AUSTIN TYLER REAVES I APOLOGIZE TO YOU
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) December 6, 2023
Fans can’t believe Devin Booker had another elimination game collapse.
booker in elimination games needa be studied
— SJ (@SJBasketball8) December 6, 2023
Fans mocked Kevin Durant for airballing the final shot of the game that could’ve sent the game to OT.
DURANT FOR THE TIE!!!! pic.twitter.com/x67v8H8h9f
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) December 6, 2023
LeBron James continued to amaze fans with his sensational performance on the night.
this is 2018 bron of both getting to the rim AND finishing; this is some crazy shit
— coopz (@Coopz___) December 6, 2023
Some fans hailed LeBron and Anthony Davis as the best duo in the NBA.
The best Duo in the league
LeBron James x Anthony Davis https://t.co/cbpJjiyJoB
— Raquel 🫶🏾 (@SOULbeautifulme) December 6, 2023
LeBron James had 31 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, and five steals on the night. Anthony Davis chipped in with 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Austin Reaves had a 20-point night off the bench, including three of the most important points for the Lakers in the game.
Kevin Durant matched up to James with 31 points of his own with seven rebounds and four assists. Unfortunately, the Suns were held back by Devin Booker who had another disappointing elimination game performance. He scored 21 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, but he shot just 37.5% and had seven turnovers. Grayson Allen contributed at a high level with 21 points of his own.
Are The Lakers Favorites To Win The In-Season Tournament?
It may not be the same as an NBA Championship, but it looks like the Lakers can be considered among the favorites to win the In-Season Tournament. They will face the New Orleans Pelicans in the semi-finals, while the Indiana Pacers will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern semi-finals. With how the tournament has played out so far, it’s impossible to predict who would win. Nonetheless, the Lakers will fancy their chances in this game.
After the Lakers had jumped out to a 3-0 start in the In-Season Tournament group stage matches, LeBron expressed his desire to compete to win it all with his Laker teammates.
“I think it’s an incentive for sure. Early in the season, when you are playing the in-season tournament, so we understand what’s at stake. It’s not something we’re putting all our eggs in one basket in the in-season tournament. But we know when the games come, every Tuesday and Friday, we know what it’s about, we know what’s at stake. So, it’s been good for us so far.
He can live up to that by tackling an extremely challenging Pelicans squad on a back-to-back in the semi-finals. The Pelicans have finally found a healthy patch, with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and even Trey Murphy III all available for the game tomorrow.
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