Lakers Advance to Semifinals of Inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament
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LOS ANGELES - LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, securing the final semifinal spot in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament.
James scored 31 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and added 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. Anthony Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and Austin Reaves added 20 points for the Lakers, who will face New Orleans in the semifinals on Thursday in Las Vegas.
The Lakers overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to claim the victory. They outscored the Suns 38-21 in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant led the Suns with 31 points, but he missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. Devin Booker and Grayson Allen each scored 21 points for Phoenix.
The Suns committed 22 turnovers in the game, including 10 in the first quarter alone. They also struggled to contain James, who scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers' victory was their third over the Suns this season. They also won a regular-season game in Phoenix on November 10th.
The Lakers earned the top seed in the West by going unbeaten in the group stage of the inaugural tournament. The Suns rebounded from their loss to the Lakers to earn a wild-card spot in the knockout round.
While fans are still debating the merits of the in-season tournament, both Lakers coach Darvin Ham and Suns coach Frank Vogel said their players are getting into the spirit of the event, particularly with the motivation to earn financial bonuses for their teams' support personnel and younger players.
"They're well aware of that bag," Ham said with a grin. "Money speaks, man."
The Lakers will face the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals on Thursday night. The Milwaukee Bucks will play the Indiana Pacers in the East semifinal. The championship game will be staged on Saturday, with the winner taking home the NBA Cup.
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