(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers have looked mediocre at times during the 2023-24 NBA season, but when the In-Season Tournament comes along they look like an entirely different team.
The Lakers went 4-0 in group play and won the Western Conference’s Group A with a staggering point differential that allowed them to host the quarterfinals against the Phoenix Suns.
It was a hotly contested game, but Los Angeles managed to pull out the win thanks to some clutch scoring from LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Reaves hit the biggest shot of the night with a 3-pointer from the wing that gave the Lakers a four-point lead late, but James controlled the fourth quarter as a scorer and facilitator.
There was some initial skepticism about the In-Season Tournament as fans and players didn’t think the games would matter much.
However, James changed his tune and credited NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for the idea via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
LeBron James, on players buying into the In-Season Tournament:
“Adam Silver is a genius. It’s that simple. This is gonna work.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) December 7, 2023
James was against the Play-In Tournament when it was first announced, but came around to the idea once it produced high-stakes games that brought out the best in teams.
The In-Season Tournament is having a similar effect as teams are taking them seriously and creating playoff-like atmospheres that have both the players and fans engaged throughout the entire contest.
James is probably happy that he and Los Angeles get to head to Las Vegas to compete for the NBA Cup and more prize money, but overall there’s no denying that the In-Season Tournament is a hit.
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