LOS ANGELES (AFP) – LeBron James scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers won a thrilling duel with the Phoenix Suns, 106-103, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, to advance to the semifinals of the NBA’s in-season tournament.
James produced a trademark clutch fourth quarter performance with 15 points in a victory that sends the Lakers into a last-four showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas on Thursday.
In Tuesday’s other quarterfinal, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 63 points as the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the semifinals with a 146-122 rout of the New York Knicks.
But the game of the night was unquestionably in Los Angeles, where James and the Lakers held off a ferocious second-half fightback from Kevin Durant and the Suns to prevail in a classic.
The Lakers dominated the first half to lead by 12 at the break, up 59-47.
But the Suns roared back in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 35-24 to make it a one-point game heading into the fourth.
The 38-year-old James though was in no mood to surrender victory and found his scoring touch to shepherd the Lakers over the line.
Austin Reaves nailed a superb three-pointer to give the Lakers a four-point advantage with 15 seconds on the clock.
Durant cut the gap to two points with a reverse layup but missed with a last-gasp attempted buzzer beater that would have forced overtime.
James finished with 12-of-25 shooting, with 11 assists and five rebounds. Anthony Davis added 27 points with 15 rebounds while Reaves added 20 points in a scintillating cameo from the bench.
Durant led the Phoenix scoring with 31 points while Grayson Allen and Devin Booker finished with 21 points apiece for the Suns.
Milwaukee advanced to a showdown against the Indiana Pacers in Thursday’s other semifinal after pulling clear of the Knicks with a huge third quarter.
Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee scorers with 35 points while Lillard weighed in with 28 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point distance.
Antetokounmpo finished with 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Malik Beasley (18 points), Khris Middleton (14), Bobby Portis (13) and Cameron Payne (12) all made double figures for Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo was heartened by a display which provided more evidence that the former NBA Most Valuable Player’s blockbuster partnership with summer signing Lillard is starting to gel.
