The Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers are the first finalists in the newly released NBA Cup Final (In-Season Tournament). The Angelina franchise crushed the Pelicans (133-89) thanks to the stellar performance of LeBron James, who scored 30 points in less than three quarters. The revelation of the tournament, the Pacers, beat the Milwaukee Bucks (128-119) in the other semifinal.
James' great performance with the Lakers received high praise from his teammates and his coach. “I only have one word to define LeBron: extraordinary. He starts at full strength from the beginning, from the previous meeting and the start on the track. He communicates, helps the boys visualize the game plan that we want to execute. "His energy, how he sacrifices his body in the loads," Lakers coach Darvin Ham commented at a press conference. "He has shown incredible tone on both sides of the court and his teammates just love him. they continue. "It's a blessing to see this and know that you're on the same side as him," he added.
For Austin Reaves, one of his young men, LeBron's influence is absolute on them. "He looks healthy. Fresh, in good spirits, he's never in a bad mood. Always smiling, joking, laughing... He's LeBron. And when a player like him acts like that it's a very positive boost in the locker room," commented the forward.
LeBron also endorses the work of his teammates and for 'The King' there is still no ceiling for these Lakers. "It's something we have to figure out. When they asked me in the last two months about the team, my answer was realistic because I didn't know, we didn't have our team yet," he said. "But we started without injuries, we began to see what this team looked like, the great rhythm we have in attack and defense. It helps to have different quintets to know how we function offensively, what we can do in defense. It helps a lot," he argued.
LeBron is the first who tonight has led by example of defense, which considers the path to follow in order to win. "I think we have begun to know what we need to be a team on a winning path, to be consistent. We know that defensively we started very well today, we have to defend every night. If we defend, we will have our chances of winning each game. When our guys push, when they communicate... you can make a mistake but you know they are behind to help you. That contributes a lot to the team," he developed.
Saturday's final is seen from the Lakers locker room as a great opportunity, but also as a very demanding challenge against Indiana. "They have many games of 130 and 140 points. There is Haliburton and many players who complement him very well. They run and they are playing very well. It is going to be a test for our defense, for sure. But it is going to be an exciting game," said Anthony Davis.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 27 points and 15 assists to help Indiana beat Milwaukee. Myles Turner added 26 points for the Pacers that negated Giannis Antetokounmpo's 37 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee.
Reaves also warned of the intensity of Rick Carlisle's boys. "It's not just the three-pointers, but the pace at which they play. We're going to have to be on alert, because with every shot they make, whether they make it or not, they're going to continue moving the ball as fast as they can," he said.
