On Saturday night, Anthony Davis showcased his best performance of the season, scoring 41 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to clinch the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament title with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Austin-reaves/”>Austin Reaves contributed significantly with 28 points, while LeBron James, the tournament MVP, added 24 points and 11 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell chipped in with 13 points. Davis, displaying remarkable efficiency, shot 16 of 24 from the field and dished out five assists.
Despite not affecting the regular season standings, this game carried significant stakes. Along with claiming the tournament trophy, Lakers players on standard two-way contracts earned $500,000 each, while the Pacers received $200,000 per player. Those on two-way deals took home half of these amounts.
In the closely contested match, the Lakers maintained their lead for most of the game. However, it was a 15-3 run in the late fourth quarter that transformed a narrow 100-96 advantage into a commanding 115-99 lead, securing their triumph in the tournament. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20 points and 11 assists, accompanied by Bennedict Mathurin with 20 points and Aaron Nesmith with 15 points.