Lakers leaving Las Vegas with NBA In-Season Tournament title — PHOTOS
Pleased as he was Saturday with the surprising success of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, commissioner Adam Silver addressed its imperfections from the belly of T-Mobile Arena.
The quality of some of the colorful courts. The perception of the point-differential tiebreaker utilized in pool play. The tip-off time of the first semifinal at 2 p.m Thursday.
“My sense is there’s no question there will be some changes for next year,” Silver said.
But he couldn’t have possibly called for a more frenetic, festive finish.
The Los Angeles Lakers claimed the tournament title Saturday with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers, bringing a sellout crowd of 19,012 to a rousing ovation in the closing seconds. Spectators included Shaquille O’Neal, Julius Erving, Floyd Mayweather, Shannon Sharpe, Steffi Graf and Flavor Flav.
Aces All-Stars A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young were joined by teammates Kiah Stokes and Kierstan Bell and honored during a timeout for their second consecutive WNBA title.
Lakers forward LeBron James, who has professed several times publicly his desire to own an NBA franchise in Las Vegas, was voted In-Season Tournament MVP.
The encore to his 30-point, eight-assist, no-turnover virtuoso performance Thursday included 24 points, 11 rebounds and every bit the bravado he showed in the semifinals.
“My youngins over here, my rookies, my second-year guys, some of them haven’t experienced playoff basketball,” or made life-changing money yet, James told ESPN’s Malika Andrews, referring to the $500,000 per player and bonuses for their coaches for winning the first NBA Cup.
“I felt like it was my obligation, my responsibility to keep everybody engaged. … That’s why I was locked in from Day One.”
During his opening statement to a flock of reporters, Silver praised Las Vegas for its hosting capabilities.
“I think part of the attraction for the players was the notion that this final four would be here,” he said. “For good reason. It’s a great market to be in. We’ve gotten an enthusiastic reception from the mayor’s office, from the chamber of commerce here, from everyone involved.”
The Strip was filled Saturday with NBA marketing across its many marquees, embracing the first In-Season Tournament as much as the players who have enthusiastically participated over the past several weeks.
Led by James, the league’s oldest and most accomplished player, the superstar veterans — a la Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant — ensured through their effort that the rest of the league would follow suit. The tournament invigorated the 82-game regular season, featuring four games of pool play, the quarterfinals and lastly the final four from T-Mobile Arena.
The championship clash Saturday was a contrast of styles, like so many fights contested there: the veteran Lakers, big, physical and methodical, against the upstart Pacers, speedy and skillful.
But Los Angeles was ready for the breakneck pace that superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton ignites.
Playing through James and third-year guard Austin Reaves, the Lakers penetrated the paint and attacked the rim, punishing repeatedly Indiana’s smaller defenders. Makes or misses were met with met with spirited sprints to stymie transition, in which the Pacers often overwhelm there opponents.
Anthony Davis was unstoppable on the interior, deterring drives with his length and timing, switching defensively onto perimeter players and imposing his will offensively en route to 41 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks for Los Angeles.
Said Davis, a gold championship medallion draped around his neck: “It’s a step in the right direction, obviously, but even though it’s a big performance, it’s another game, and we’ve got to continue to get going starting back on Tuesday.”
Haliburton finished with 20 points and 11 assists, while Reaves had 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
James adds to his ledger yet another accolade.
The Pacers leave Las Vegas having successfully boosted their national profile.
“I want to thank all of the players in the league and the coaches, of course, the teams, for embracing this new concept. I know it doesn’t come without challenges,” Silver said. “There’s no doubt there’s some things that we are learning this time through. I mean, overall, we are thrilled with the interest we’ve seen so far this season.”
Back to the regularly scheduled, regular-season programming.
Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.
