NBA In-Season Tournament: LeBron James emulates Kobe Bryant as LA Lakers make semis, Milwaukee Bucks through
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 06/12/2023 at 10:26 GMT
The NBA In-Season Tournament is reaching its conclusion, as the LA Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks booked their places in the semi-finals. The LA Lakers secured a 106-103 win over the Phoenix Suns, where LeBron James proved to be the star of the show again, emulating another Lakers and NBA legend in Kobe Bryant. Meanwhile, the Bucks overcame the New York Knicks 146-122. Both semis are in Las Vegas.
'Crazy' - Haliburton on Pacers triumph over Celtics and his first triple-double
LeBron James became the first LA Lakers players since Kobe Bryant to make 20 points, 10 assists and five steals in one game, as they overcame the Phoenix Suns 106-103 in the NBA In-Season tournament quarter-finals.
James was in stellar form once again as his 31 points - 15 of those in the fourth quarter - helped the Lakers secure a semi-final berth, while Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves added 27 and 20 respectively.
Kevin Durant claimed 31 points for the Suns, but had a costly miss for a three-pointer right on the buzzer, as the Lakers proved to be their stumbling block once again.
This was their third defeat against the California outfit having won eight of their previous ten matches.
Speaking to TNT Sports, LeBron said: "We have an opportunity to compete for something, so why not?
"You've got the greatest competitors in the world fighting for something, so let's fight."
Devin Booker set up a nervous finish to reduce the score at 102-101 with a mere 29 seconds remaining, before Reaves sunk a three-pointer 15 seconds before the end.
The game ended in controversy though, as James was granted a timeout during a loose ball after Booker had taken it off Reaves seconds earlier.
It was a decision which baffled Suns coach Frank Vogel, who said: "It's a loose ball, and you can't call a timeout on a loose ball.
"The whistle blows. I don't know why. Everything in the league is reviewable. I don't know why that can't be reviewable. We got the trap, we got the turnover, (and the) damn whistle blows. It's just frustrating."
The Lakers can now look forward to a semi-final match against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, while the Milwaukee Bucks face the Indiana Pacers in the other last-four clash on Thursday, both taking place in Las Vegas.
The Bucks powered their way past the New York Knicks with a 146-122 victory to secure their place in the last four.
Giannis Antetokounmpo amassed 35 points and 10 assists, while Damian Lillard added a further 28 as they claimed a season-high shooting scoring percentage of 60.5% (23 of 28) from three-point range.
“Tonight was a huge step. We wanted to get to Vegas but when we get to Vegas we’ve got to take care of business. We've got two games to win there," said coach Adrian Griffin in quotes published by nba.com.
“I thought tonight our team was the better team. Our bench was terrific and I thought the crowd was terrific. It had all the makings of a play-off game.”
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement