Los Angeles Lakers snare in-season tournament semifinal spot،
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers secured the final semifinal berth in the NBA season opener with a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night .
Anthony Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds and Austin Reaves scored 20 points for the top-seeded Lakers, who face New Orleans on Thursday in Las Vegas. Milwaukee faces Indiana in the East semifinals.
James put on a masterful shooting performance down the stretch while racking up 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals. The 21-year veteran scored 15 of the Lakers' first 19 points in the final period and had the assists on his teammates' other two baskets as Los Angeles took the lead.
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, but he narrowly missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer for the Suns. Phoenix had won eight out of 10 before losing to Los Angeles for the third time already this season.
Devin Booker cut the Lakers' lead to 102-101 on a layup with 29 seconds left, but Reaves made his third 3-pointer with 15 seconds left. Durant made another layup moments later, and Davis missed one of two free throws to open the door for Durant's potential game-tying shot.
Booker and Grayson Allen scored 21 points each for Phoenix.
The Lakers earned first place in the West by going undefeated through the group stage of the inaugural tournament, including a victory in Phoenix on November 10. The Suns bounced back from that setback to earn a wild card spot in the Round of 16.
While fans still debate the merits of the in-season tournament, the Lakers' Darvin Ham and Phoenix's Frank Vogel said their players are soaking up the spirit of the event, especially with the motivation of winning bonuses financial support for their teams’ support staff. and young players.
“They know that bag well,” Ham said with a smile. “Money talks, man.”
Bradley Beal missed his 11th straight game with his lingering back injury for the Suns, who held on despite committing 22 turnovers while their two healthy superstars battled foul trouble. Booker picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, while Durant entered the final period with four fouls and picked up his fifth with 3:18 left.
Phoenix committed 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone, the most of any team in the league this season. The Suns trailed by 15 in the first half, but scored 14 straight points out of halftime to take the lead.
